Despite coming into the game as the Coastal Athletic Association’s best with a chance to clinch the regular season title, the Elon women’s soccer team fell to Campbell University 1-0. Campbell upset the Phoenix thanks to resistant defense, even as Elon outshot them 18 to 5.
Elon began the game with a kick in their step, dominating offensively. They advanced into Campbell’s territory early and often. Elon’s co-leader in goals senior Lydia Totten was busy as the Phoenix funneled play through her. Totten got shot after shot off, finishing with 3 first-half shots with the third heading straight right into the chest of the Campbell goalie.
Elon got a flurry of shots off in the first half, shooting it 7 times, but Campbell’s defense would not be deterred. Campbell played well in close quarters, blocking a number of Elon shots even as they were inches away from the net. Elon kept the ball firmly in Campbell’s territory, but there were blocks galore. Campbell’s backline emulated a stonewall, refusing to give way.
Despite its strong defensive performance, Campbell was unable to hold onto the ball themselves for very long. Campbell played a tough game of keep-away, allowing the Phoenix to march right toward the goal but preventing shots from rolling into the goal.
Redshirt sophomore Isa Murdock runs toward the goal with the ball in a game against Campbell on Oct. 24.
The Fighting Camels’ gritty defense held off Elon's barrage of offense for the first 20 minutes, and it finally paid off when Campbell’s offense woke up. Campbell finally began to see opportunities as it got its first shot off after six consecutive shots by Elon. Then at the 36th minute, Campbell struck first and scored in half as many attempts as Elon took, taking a 1-0 lead.
Discouraged from the lack of scoring despite their efforts, Elon struggled to maintain possession for the remainder of the half as the momentum swung toward the Camels.
The second half began much like the first with incredible offensive performances, but Elon still fell short of scoring. The opportunities kept rolling in as Elon finished the game with 18 shots, 5 higher than their average of 13 shots per game.
A few minutes into the half, a perfect opportunity landed in the Phoenix’s lap as freshman Jess Beck stood in the box right in front of the goal. But an excellent save prevented a tie game. A few minutes later, Beck got another blocked shot off. As the half progressed, Elon began to mirror its first-half performance as they controlled possession while goals continued to elude them. Totten and redshirt sophomore Isa Murdock tried their best, but Campbell’s unbelievable defense blocked shot after shot.
Beck and Totten each finished with 4 shots. The game started to emulate a broken record. There was nothing Elon could do. Their defense was playing well and their offense was finding the opportunities, but the lack of shots on goal hindered them.
In the final minutes, the Phoenix continued to get shots off — including one inches away from the goal — but Beck kicked it too hard and skyrocketed it above the goal. In the end, Elon played an almost perfect game. Few teams could have found more offensive opportunities than Elon did tonight, and their defense held firm most of the game. It came down to the Camels’ rigid defense and one single moment where Campbell’s offense saw an opportunity and took it.
Head coach Neil Payne declined Elon News Network’s request for an interview.
The Phoenix plays its final regular season game against the University of North Carolina, Wilmington on the road on Oct. 27.