Lake Wales, Fla. — September 4, 2025 — Carolina University Women's Soccer earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw on Thursday evening against Warner University at Royal Soccer Field.

The Bruins (0-3-2) struck first late in the opening half when McKenna VonCannon broke free and found the back of the net in the 42nd minute to put Carolina ahead 1-0. Despite Warner out shooting Carolina 23-8, the Bruins defense and goalkeeper tandem of Waleska Gonzalez and Laurel Collins kept the Royals off the scoreboard for much of the match. Gonzalez made two key saves in the first half, while Collins tallied five stops after the break.

Carolina nearly doubled its lead just moments before VonCannon's goal when Natalie Puskar had a penalty kick saved by Warner's keeper. In the second half, Warner continued to press forward and finally found the equalizer in the 89th minute, when Gianna Bellomo scored off an assist from Hannah Kenney to level the match.

The draw capped a gritty defensive performance by the Bruins, who held off constant pressure from the Royals' attack and battled through a physical second half that saw both sides receive yellow cards.

Coach's Quote

Head Coach Boo Tesh praised his team's resilience:

"I'm proud of the way our players fought today. We defended with grit against a strong attacking team, and while it's disappointing to concede so late, this match showed the character and heart we expect from our group moving forward."

Carolina continues its road swing this weekend against Ave Maria for 11:00 a.m. kickoff.