SPARTANBURG, SC – Forward Valentina Restrepo netted the match-winning goal midway through the second half to give Francis Marion University a 2-1 Conference Carolinas win over Converse University, Wednesday night (Oct.19) in women's soccer action.
 
The Patriots will return home for the final home match of the season and will celebrate Senior Day while hosting Erskine College on Saturday (Oct. 22) at 4:30 p.m. 
 
Converse's Kaylee Couder put the Valkyries on the board first after a long through ball from Ellie Gore. Little River native Linsey Downey would knot the game with a goal from 12 yards out after a pass from midfielder J.G. Garon.  That would take the Patriots into halftime even at 1-1.
 
Restrepo's score followed a Converse free kick, which was cleared out by defender Paula Sanabria and then sent through the Valkyrie defense by FMU forward Le'Landra Jarvis. The through ball was whiffed by the Converse keeper and finished off by Restrepo into the open goal. Her score was put away from the edge of the 18-yard box into the lower left side of the net at the 71:33 mark.  
 
FMU outshot Converse with a 9-8 margin, while eight of the Patriot tries were on frame and six for the Valkyries.  
 
Patriot goalkeeper Makayla Willets pulled in five saves, including a leaping stop with 11:21 remaining on a potential match-tying attempt when a Valkyrie forward got between FMU defenders.  The saves make her just 10 shy of jumping into third place all-time in saves for the FMU program. Valkyrie's Daelynn Perry stopped six shots in net.
  
Garon led Francis Marion with four shots, all of which were on frame. Restrepo powered off three shots with two being on target, while Jarvis and Downey had a shot apiece.
  
The Patriots registered three corner kicks, while the Valkyries had one.