(Gilbert, AZ) The Park University Gilbert women’s soccer team (5-10-3, 4-7-3) played the Arizona Christian University Firestorm (6-10-2, 4-8-2) to a 3-1 win Saturday evening at Desert Sky Park.
The Buccaneers closed out the 2024 regular season winning three consecutive conference matches Life Pacific, Benedictine Mesa and ACU, scoring an average of 3 goals in that span. They also got their first win against the Firestorm in program history, previously holding an 0-2-2 lifetime record.
An aggressive eight shot first half for Park-Gilbert led to a pair of early scores. Senior defender Alli Meisel nailed her penalty kick in the 14th minute to put the Bucs up 1-0. Meisel then assisted on senior forward Emma Alvarez’s first goal of the night in the 23rd minute.
The Bucs wasted no time getting back on the scoreboard once the second half commenced, as Alvarez scored her second goal of the night in the 47th minute. Junior defender Jocelyn Chavez assisted on the play.
ACU got on the scoreboard in the 77th minute, when a handball inside the 18 set up a converted penalty shot for Firestorm goalkeeper, senior Emileigh Lara.
The 88th minute of play turned physical as two red cards were dished out, one to each team.
Buccaneers goalkeeper, junior Morgan Trail, recorded all three of her saves in the second half.
Park-Gilbert women’s soccer concluded its inaugural season in the Great Southwest Conference winning three out of five conference games in the month of October. The Buccaneers will return back to the pitch in August for the start of the 2025 regular season.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Garrett Campbell
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