MOTLOW STATE CLAIMS NJCAA REGION VII SOCCER CROWN

The Motlow State Lady Bucks flexed their muscles on the way to the NJCAA Region VII Soccer Championship this week.  They opened the tournament with a resounding 12-0 defeat of the #4 seed Dyersburg State Lady Eagles.  They followed that with a 6-2 win over #2 seed Columbia State in the championship game.

The Lady Bucks led 1-0 after the first half of the championship, but struck for five goals in the second half for the win.  Madisen Hodges put Motlow up for good in the 17th minute of the first half with an unassisted goal.  Kristen Gasaway and Rudy Fisher would increas the lead to 3-0 within two minutes of each other. Gasaway's score came on a penalty kick while Fisher scored at the 53:47 mark on an assist from Abby Tolbert.  Ten minutes later, Matty Snow increased the lead to 4-0 on an assist by Gasaway.  The teams would trade scores to finish out the scoring.  Motlow's final scores came on a goal by Cheyenne Watson on an assist from Freya Roche while Gasaway added another goal on an assist by Janai Hosley.  Columbia would score on goals by Dule Gaelle and Abigail Neidhart.  Bayleigh Ballard assited on Gaellle's goal while Gaelle assisted on Neidhart's score.  

Columbia advanced to the championship game with a 2-1 win over Southwest Tennessee as Ballard scored at the 82 minute mark in the secnd half for the winning goal.  That goal came on an assist from Abby Vance.  Natalie Mertens scored on an assist from Lythia Gomez latre in the first half to give Columbia the lead at the intermission.  Kylie Woodrum scored on an assist from Theona Whitmore early in the second half to tie the contest.  

IN Motlow's win over Dyersburg, Watson and Alyssa Buchanan each had a hat trick with three goals apiece. Gasaway would score two goals while Dayana Murrillo, Snow, Hodges, and Roche each would have a goal.  Tolbert had three assists in the game while Gasaway had two.  Hosley, Murrillo, Tolbert, and Roche each had one assist.