FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University freshman midfielder Linsey Downey scored her first career goal in the 14th minute to lift the Patriots to a 1-0 victory over Converse University, Saturday evening (Sept. 25) in Conference Carolinas women's soccer action.
 
The Patriots improve to 2-5-0 overall and even their conference mark at 2-2-0.  FMU will play its next three contests on the road, beginning with a 4 p.m. non-conference match at the University of Montevallo on Wednesday.  The next home match for Francis Marion will be Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. against Lees-McRae College.
 
Francis Marion looked to take an early lead in the 10th minute when senior Anna Capra's promising corner kick curled into the box, but there were takers.  Just 43 seconds later, freshman JC Garon tested the Converse goalkeeper Cassidy Hall with an on-target attempt, but Hall recorded the save.
 
At the 13:45 mark, graduate student Breesa Nawahine dribbled through the midfield and played the ball out to her right where Downey collected it, twirled around and fired a shot from the far right elbow of the penalty area into the left-side netting of the Valkyries' goal.  Downey is a product of North Myrtle Beach High School.
 
The Francis Marion defense held Converse to only one first-half shot, a harmless attempt in the 38th minute.
 
In the 39th minute, Nawahine played a nice free kick into the right side of the box, but no Patriots could get to it.
 
For the game, Francis Marion outshot Converse 19-2 and held a 6-2 edge in corner kicks.
 
Patriot junior goalkeeper Makayla Willets need only to make one second-half save (in the 47th minute) to notch her second clean sheet of the season and fourth of her FMU career.  However, her biggest contribution was not an official save, but just as important.  In the 69th minute, Converse's Brooklyn Galler served a ball into the penalty area.  It bounced between Willets and a Patriot defender and then high over Willets' head.  The keeper turned and dove toward the goal line, swatting the ball away just prior to it crossing the line and knotting the score.
 
Earlier, Nawahine had created another scoring opportunity in the 48th minute with a well-placed through ball, but it resulted in a corner kick that netted no positive result.
 
The Patriots were awarded a penalty kick at the 65:56 mark, but Valkyrie reserve goalkeeper Daelynn Perry guessed right and denied senior Faith Allen the score.
 
The final good scoring chance for FMU came in the 85th minute when Capra's corner kick found the head of graduate student Dayle McEwen in the box, but her header sailed just over the crossbar.
 
Garon and Downey led FMU with four shots apiece. 
 
In front of Willets, the Patriot defensive backline was anchored by McEwen, Capra, and freshmen Jordan White and Gracie Adkins.

 
 
Francis Marion Univ. (2-5-0, 2-2-0) def. Converse University (1-5-2, 1-2-0) 1-0
Date: 09/25/21      Attendance: 111
Weather: Mostly clear, Pleasant, 83 degrees
 
Goals by period          1  2  Tot
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Converse Univrersity  0  0 -  0
Francis Marion Univ.  1  0 -  1
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.  13:45 FMUW Linsey Downey (1) (Breesa Nawahine) - Ball played out to right, received, full turn and shot from far right elbow of penalty area into far left-side netting
 
Shots: Converse 2, Francis Marion 19 ; Saves: Converse 9 (Cassidy Hall 2; Daelyn Perry 6),
Francis Marion 1 (Makayla Willets 1)