Brandywine Edged In First-Ever USCAA Tournament Match

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Penn State Brandywine led 1-0 through 40 minutes, but Bryant & Stratton rallied with the final four goals of the match to claim a 4-1 victory, spoiling the Lions' first-ever USCAA Women's Soccer Tournament match on Friday morning.

Brandywine, playing in just its second season as a varsity program, played the athletic scholarship-granting program from Bryant & Stratton evenly through the first 45 minutes and held a majority of the first half's scoring chances.

Following a number of golden scoring opportunities, First Team All-American Brianna Banks (Philadelphia, Pa./Parkway Center) broke through the Bobcat defense for the game's first score. Rachel Weir (Neptune City, N.J./Red Bank Regional) sent a lead pass to Banks, who sprinted past a defender and deposited her 30^th goal of the year at the at the 33:30 mark.

Despite being outshot 6-5 during the first half, B&S managed to tie the game in the 41^st minute and then took the lead for good with three goals in an eight-minute span midway through the second half.

Second Team All-American goalkeeper Emily Bush (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional) registered 10 saves for Brandywine, her highest total since also blocking 10 against Keystone during the Lions' second game of the year.

Banks recorded four of Brandywine's nine shots on goal, while Samantha Bearden (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) tallied three and Weir and Brooke Muhlbaier (Millville, N.J./Millville) each collected one.

Brandywine (14-2) closes out pool play on Saturday morning at 10:00 am against Cleary University (Mich.).