Bermuda Run, N.C. – Carolina University Women's Soccer continued its winning ways Tuesday evening, earning a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Pfeiffer University in its Annual Pink Match at Truist Sports Park. A late goal from Destini Wilson and a strong defensive performance helped the Bruins secure their seventh victory of the season.
Coming off a conference-opening victory against Fisher College last week, Carolina University entered Tuesday's contest looking to build momentum as the regular season continues. The Bruins also took the field for a cause bigger than soccer, recognizing October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month through their Annual Pink Match.
The evening held special significance for the Carolina University Women's Soccer program, providing an opportunity to honor those who have battled breast cancer, celebrate survivors, and remember those who have lost their lives to the disease.
On the field, the Bruins controlled much of the offensive action throughout the opening 45 minutes. Carolina outshot Pfeiffer 8-5 in the first half, placing five shots on goal. Despite several scoring opportunities, the Bruins were unable to break through as the teams entered halftime tied 0-0.
Carolina continued applying offensive pressure in the second half, searching for the breakthrough goal. Senior Ashley Sanchez led the offensive attack with five shots, including three on goal. The Bruins nearly found the back of the net in the 74th minute when Kelsey Brown fired a shot that struck the crossbar, keeping the contest scoreless.
The decisive moment came in the 82nd minute when Destini Wilson, who had entered the match just seconds earlier, found the back of the net off an assist from McKenna Voncannon. Destini Wilson's fifth goal of the season gave Carolina a 1-0 advantage with less than nine minutes remaining.
The Bruins' defense held strong down the stretch to preserve the shutout and secure the victory.
Carolina finished the evening with a 14-8 advantage in total shots, including an 8-3 edge in shots on goal. Goalkeeper Waleska Gonzalez played all 90 minutes between the posts, recording three saves to earn the clean sheet.
With the victory, Carolina University improves to 7-2-3 overall, while Pfeiffer University falls to 5-5-4.
Head Coach Boo Tesh praised her team's determination while emphasizing the importance of the Annual Pink Match.
"I'm extremely proud of the way our team continued to fight tonight. We created opportunities throughout the match, stayed patient, and found a way to get the result when it mattered most. Our defense was outstanding, and Destini stepped up with a huge goal for us. More importantly, tonight was about something much bigger than soccer. Our Pink Match is an opportunity to honor those who have fought and continue to fight breast cancer. We are grateful to use our platform to bring awareness to such an important cause. Now our focus shifts to a very important conference matchup against Georgia Gwinnett."
Up Next
Carolina University will turn its attention back to Continental Athletic Conference play as the Bruins prepare to host Georgia Gwinnett College in a pivotal conference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. as Carolina looks to remain unbeaten in conference play and continue building momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Fans can follow Carolina University Women's Soccer throughout the season on the official Carolina University Athletics website.
