The Furman’s women’s soccer team faced off the UNCG Spartans on Thursday, Oct. 10 for their annual Breast Cancer Awareness match, which was rescheduled due to Hurricane Helene. The Dins blanked the Spartans and extended their unbeaten streak to eight.

It took Furman 28 minutes to take the lead. Sophomore forward Ava King served a corner kick to sophomore forward Maddie Massie, who scored on a header. The UNCG Spartans mostly paced the game during the remaining hour by dominating the time of possession, yet Furman’s defense forced them into low-accuracy, long-range shots. Ultimately, the Paladins held on to their 1-0 lead to seal the win.

The Spartans held a 14-9 advantage in total shots, but Furman led in shots on goal, 5-4 — a sign that UNCG’s long-range shots were merely a danger. The Paladins also had eight corner kicks in comparison to UNCG’s six.

Freshman goalkeeper Reese Dejong had four saves to record her second shutout of the season in her first-ever Southern Conference (SoCon) match. Fifth-year midfielder Nieva Gaither led Furman’s attack with three shots.

“This team played outstanding defense tonight against a very good opponent,” Furman head coach Andrew Burr said in his press conference after the win. “As we always talk about, we were low risk at the back, physical when we needed to be physical, and found a way to score on another set piece.”

Following the win, the Paladins improved to 6-4-3 overall and 2-0-2 in the SoCon. Furman’s next duel was against ETSU on Sunday, Oct. 13 in Johnson City, Tenn. Gaither scored the only goal of the game as the Dins defeated the Bucs 1-0. Dejong also recorded her second straight shutout and had six saves.

The Paladins will face Chattanooga on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. when they return home to continue SoCon play.