Truett McConnell University (TMU) women’s soccer advanced to the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament championship game after defeating No. 4 seed Milligan University 5-0 in the semifinal round Wednesday in Cleveland. The Lady Bears, the top seed in the tournament, dominated the game statistically, outshooting Milligan 26-4 with 18 shots on goal.
TMU opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Linsey Fowler assisted Erin Ward. Annabel Trauschke extended TMU’s lead to 2-0 in the 36th minute after receiving passes from Kendra Wilbert and Eliska Dvorakova. Ashley Johnson scored her first goal of the game in the second half, assisted by Dvorakova. Dvorakova scored a goal of her own in the 56th minute, assisted by Ruffa Meger. Isabelle Hodson capped off the scoring for the Lady Bears when a long pass from Trauschke provided Hodson with an opportunity to find the back of the net.
Head Coach David McDowell commended his team’s performance. “Really strong performance from the girls tonight,” he said. “They had to work hard to break down a disciplined and well organized Milligan team. We had five different goal scorers tonight and that is indicative of the overall team performance. Everyone played very well and gave a fantastic effort.”
Dvorakova led the Lady Bears with a team-high five shots, including one goal and two assists. Johnson added one goal and three shots, while Ward recorded one goal and two shots. Trauschke and Hodson each scored one goal. Wilbert, Fowler, and Meger each recorded one assist.
McDowell emphasized the team’s confidence and unity. “The girls are playing with a lot of belief and togetherness at the moment. We are excited to go back to another conference championship and look forward to playing Saturday.”
The No. 1 Lady Bears will host No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan in the AAC Tournament Championship on November 9th. The Lady Bears are looking to defend their title after winning the championship in 2023.
