Women’s soccer blanked by Hanover on Saturday

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance Yellow Jackets suffered an 8-0 defeat to the Hanover Panthers in Saturday's HCAC women's soccer battle on the turf at Justin F. Coressel Stadium.

The Yellow Jackets (2-6-2, 0-2 HCAC) finished their eighth straight match without a victory while the Panthers (6-1-3, 2-0 HCAC) picked up their third straight victory.

In the first half, Hanover scored seven goals and outshot DC 24-1 with 14 shots on goal. The Panthers posted 18 more attempts after halftime and nine more on frame to total 42 shots and 23 on goal. The eight goals were the second-most against the Jackets this season and second-most by Hanover in 2023.

The Panthers struck early in the second minute when Jostin Reeves booted in her own rebound from 10 yards away on a ball deflected out by DC keeper Sarah O'Shea. Hanover kept the pressure on and created a second score just minutes later on a shot by Callen Johnson. Her strike off the right glove of O'Shea and trickled into the right side of the goal to make it 2-0 during the ninth minute. For the Panther's third goal, Beth Cook fed Reeves for her second goal of the contest and Cook's second assist 15:34 into the first half. Cook notched her HCAC-leading 10th goal of the season during the 25th minute of the half with a line drive just above the box. 

Nora Ludwig got in on the scoring just one minute later with her first goal of the season. The big first half for Hanover continued after Kaleigh Schirmer had a breakaway dribble and juked a defender for positioning in front of the net before punching the sixth Panther goal of the half into the net with 10:30 left in the first half. In the final minute the first half, Hanover made it a seven-goal half off a corner kick that was booted between the pipes by Cassidy Lett.

Hanover's lone goal in the second half came from Cook during the 64th minute to bring her season total to 11. Cook finished with two goals and two assists.

The 42 shots on goal were the second-most that Defiance has endured this year as O'Shea made 14 stops. Her 14 saves were the fifth time she has made double-digit saves.

The Yellow Jackets return to the pitch on Wednesday afternoon against Earlham. The home contest will be at Winsper Knobel Field at 4 p.m.

-JACKETS-