UNA Lions Grit and Goals Fall Short: The University of North Alabama women’s soccer squad battled fiercely but succumbed to FGCU in a penalty shootout (3-2) after a thrilling 3-3 draw in the ASUN Championship Final in Nashville. Despite an early three-goal lead at halftime, the Lions faced a resilient Eagles’ surge in the second half, pushing the game into overtime. This marked UNA’s second appearance in an ASUN title game in their six years at the NCAA Division I level.
In the 30th minute, Izzi Gurney-Harper’s header from a Kellie Hovis corner kick gave North Alabama an early lead. Julia Murdoch added another goal in the 31st minute, assisted by Olivia Heinert. Hovis extended the lead with her second goal in the 40th minute, assisted by Molly Parham and Heinert.
The Lions maintained their defensive prowess into the second half, but Erika Zchuppe scored for the Eagles in the 65th minute, tallying two more goals in the 67th and 79th minutes, leveling the score at 3-3. Despite two scoreless overtime periods, the match headed to penalty kicks, where FGCU secured a 3-2 victory over the Lions.
Adriana Wright, Briana Eads, and Molly Parham from North Alabama earned spots on the ASUN Championship All-Tournament Team. Wright and Eads contributed to the Lions’ stellar defensive performance, securing two clean sheets in the tournament. Wright’s season total of 13 shutouts tied for the NCAA lead. Parham provided crucial assists, including one in the ASUN Final.
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The Lions concluded a historic season, setting a program record with 13 shutouts, matched by Wright’s individual achievement. Wright also equaled the ASUN mark for most shutouts by a goalkeeper in a season, playing every minute. With eleven wins, UNA tied the Division I program record, matching their 2018 total, and finished with the highest win percentage in the Division I era at 11-5-6.
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