ELKINS, W. Va. – Davis & Elkins surrendered a goal on each side of halftime, including an opening tally less than one minute in during a 2-0 defeat against West Liberty on Wednesday night at Nuttall Field.
D&E (7-7-2, 6-6-1 MEC) began to develop an offensive rhythm into the second half, but the quick strike from West Liberty (4-9-4, 4-6-4 MEC) put the Senators in a hole they could not dig out of. Nicole Lolua rushed up the left side before playing a crisp pass from Claire Kelly and finishing for a 1-0 edge just 42 seconds into the game.
Alyssa Rhinaman made it a 2-0 game with a long finish from outside the box as the visiting Hiilltoppers received a key insurance marker in the 79th minute.
Davis & Elkins came out inspired in the second half, holding a 7-4 edge in shots in the frame.
Nariana Nealy had several long chances denied by Olivia Montgomery and
Asheli Freed cracked three shots on the day.
Katie Clarke made a pair of saves in goal for the Senators, while Montgomery made six stops on her way to a clean sheet.
Brianna Rose had an attempt stopped in the 73rd minute off a corner kick before Nealy and Freed ended the game with scoring chances in the 81st and 84th minutes.
THE RUNDOWN
- West Liberty (4-9-4, 4-6-4 MEC) – 2
- Davis & Elkins (7-7-2, 6-6-1 MEC) – 0
- Nuttall Field - Elkins, W. Va.
GAME NOTES
- While the road would have been a tough one to navigate, the loss makes things murkier for the Senators in the battle for a spot in the conference tournament. Charleston (W. Va.), which sits three points ahead of the Senators, dropped its regular season finale to Fairmont State tonight.
- Davis & Elkins is in fourth place in the MEC standings, currently on the outside looking in on a playoff berth. The top three teams from the MEC North and South division move on to the conference tournament, beginning November 12.
- Nealy has posted multiple shots in game 11 times this season, including eight over the last two outings.
- Raquel Lewis gave the Senators a spark upon her entry into the game in the second half. While she did not have a shot attempt, there were some close runs initiated by Lewis that led to quality looks.
- Scoring has been tough to come by for Davis & Elkins of late as the senators have been shutout in three of the last five games.
UP NEXT
- D&E concludes the 2019 regular season with a Senior Day matchup against nearby West Virginia Wesleyan on Sunday, November 10 beginning at 1:00 PM.