Michael Shipma
Staff Writer
The Troy soccer team came away with two wins this weekend during the first half of the Trojan Classic, beating Kennesaw State 1-0 and Tennessee Tech 3-0. The two wins extended the Trojans’ current win streak to three, and brought their home record to 3-0 so far this season.
The Trojans (3-2-0) came out on fire in the tournament and were able to score early in the opening match against Kennesaw State on Friday, Aug. 29.
The Owls (1-2-1) were able to regroup and maintain the majority of the possession, but they were unable to score. Despite getting six shots off in the game, none were on goal, giving Trojan freshman goalkeeper Mikki Lewis the shutout without a single save on the night.
Junior midfielder Alissa Jones scored in the sixth minute to give the Trojans the early lead, and thanks to the defensive pressure from the Trojans, it was all they needed.
“We wanted to start fast,” Troy head coach Jason Hamilton said. “That was the message during pregame and halftime. We knew it was going to be a battle. When you have a one-goal lead in a game that is tight, it’s going to be physical. We had to be ready for that and we’re happy with how we finished that game out.”
The Trojans continued their success in the Trojan Classic by recording another win Sunday afternoon, besting Tennessee Tech 3-0. Troy dominated the Golden Eagles (0-3) on all fronts, and finished the first portion of the Trojan Classic with a solid win at home.
Troy’s offense was lively throughout the match, getting off 12 shots and scoring three times. Jones scored her fourth goal of the season in the 20th minute off an assist from senior defender Georgia Wallis, to put Troy up early in the match.
Twelve minutes later, junior midfielder Jasmine Fahrnbauer headed in a corner kick to score her first goal of the season, putting Troy in control by halftime 2-0.
Jones almost scored her second goal of the match during the second half, but it was called back when the referee raised his flag to signal that she was offside.
“I want to look at the film and see it again,” Jones said after the match. “[The referee] said I came from an offside position, but I was pretty upset because I wasn’t offside. I had the girl on my back then shot it.”
It ended up not making a difference, as Jones found freshman forward Natalie Melillo in the box for a goal in the 63rd minute. It was Melillo’s second goal of the season and sealed the deal for the Trojans.
The defense also excelled, limiting Tennessee Tech to only three shots in the afternoon. The match was the third straight shutout for Lewis, and extended the Trojans’ winning streak at home to six games.
Troy hits the road to play against Gardner-Webb on Friday, Sept. 5, and then will return to face off against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Friday, Sept. 12. The time has yet to be announced.
