Spartanburg, S.C. – August 27, 2025 – Carolina University Women's Soccer showed grit on the road Wednesday afternoon but came up just short in a 2-1 defeat at Spartanburg Methodist College.

The Lady Bruins created chances early, outshooting the Pioneers 10-4 in the opening half, but Spartanburg Methodist struck first when Kamari Johnson broke through in the 5th minute to make it 1-0. Carolina pressed for the equalizer, forcing several saves from Ava Wilson, who finished with seven stops in the match.

In the second half, Spartanburg Methodist extended the lead to 2-0 in the 63rd minute through Caroline Taylor. Carolina responded with urgency, and in the 79th minute, sophomore forward Natalie Puskar found the net off a well-placed assist from Alondra Ramon, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Despite a late push, Wilson denied a final attempt in the 89th minute to secure the result for the hosts.

Carolina finished with a 14-12 edge in total shots and held eight shots on goal compared to Spartanburg's five, but the Pioneers made the most of their chances.

Head Coach Boo Tesh praised the fight of his young squad:

"I'm really proud of how our girls responded after going down 2-0," Coach said. "We created opportunities, and Natalie's goal showed the effort and belief this group has. These are the types of battles that will make us stronger as the season goes on."

Carolina moves to 0-2-0 on the year and will look to bounce back on Friday, August 29, when they have their home opener against University of Rio Grande (OH.) at Truist Sports Park.  Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.