FLORENCE, SC – The No. 18 ranked Francis Marion University women's soccer team achieved program history with a 10-0-0 start to the 2025 campaign following a 2-0 shutout win over Belmont Abbey College in a non-conference match at Hartzler Field on Saturday (Oct. 11).
The Patriots are officially off to the best start in program history following a 10th straight win, eclipsing the previous mark held by the 1997 squad (9-0-0). Francis Marion and Dallas Baptist are the only two NCAA Division II programs still unbeaten and untied. FMU returns to Hartzler Field on Wednesday, Oct. 15, to face Barton College in Conference Carolinas play at 4:30 p.m.
Francis Marion continued its impressive shutout streak following a ninth clean sheet in 10 matches. Junior goalkeeper
Erin Grabeel extends the record to 734:15 scoreless minutes while recording one save on three shots faced.
In the first half, the Patriots peppered the Crusader defense with a pair of shots that missed the mark before countering with a shot that sailed over the top of the goal in the opening eight minutes. After battling for possession, Francis Marion scored the first goal of the match at the 23:40 mark to take a 1-0 lead. A quick back-and-forth pass from the freshmen duo of
Madeline Ballard and
Cora Lepper led to a through ball to senior forward
Tehya Dave', who chipped the closing goalkeeper for her sixth goal of the season.
In the 42nd minute, sophomore defender
Ashley Geder played the ball through the midfield and found junior midfielder
Jordan Dobson streaking down the right side of the field. Dobson fired a curling shot off her right foot into the top-left corner of the goal from 25 yards out to extend the lead to 2-0.
At the break, the Patriots outshot the Crusaders by a 6-1 margin while neither side had a corner kick attempt.
Belmont Abbey threatened in the opening seconds of the second half following a turnover in the backline, but the shot on goal was saved by Grabeel to preserve the shutout. The Patriots would surrender one more shot the remainder of the half and held the top goal-scoring team in the Conference Carolinas to zero goals for the first time this season.
The Patriots finished with a 13-3 shot advantage and posted a 5-0 lead in corner kicks.
