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BUIES CREEK, N.C. – A comeback effort fell short for the Camels against Davidson, 2-1, on Saturday evening at the Eakes Athletic Complex.
Ashley Clark buried her fourth goal of the week in 78th minute to draw within one and Alexis Connors notched two saves for Campbell. Murita Storey provided the lone assist on the Clark's goal.
"Statstically it was an even game," said head coach Stuart Horne. "We weren't attacking hard enough in the first half and we were succombing to their pressure. In the second half we were the team to beat until they scored their second goal. We needed to put in a full 90, that was the biggest difference."
Campbell and Davidson exchanged opportunities in the opening minutes of the first half but neither side found the break through as both defenses held strong on the attacks. In the 28th minute of play, the Wildcats built up an attack from the back line through the midfield of play. As they reached the attacking third, Vicky Bruce found teammate Sarah Tuggle at the top of the box on the right side. Tuggle took a touch to the middle and fired a shot to the far side netting passed Connors, taking the 1-0 lead.
The Camels opportunities did not dissolve following the goal allowed. With two minutes remaining in the first stanza Payton Ormsby, Monday's game-winning goal scorer, found herself with an opportunity from 22 yards away. Ormsby's strike was able to get by goalkeeper Becca Ravitz but found the iron post and bounced back into play, much to her dismay.
After halftime the Orange and Black found rejuvenation and applied pressure to Davidson's backline but was unable to find the equalizer, despite multiple opportunities.
The Wildcats added their second goal of the evening as Bruce played a ball 40 yards away. As it bounced through Connors' box Mia Hodges was on the receiving end and buried the ball into the back of the net, claiming a 2-0 advantage.
Clark connected in the 78th minute as she followed the pacey Storey into the box. A 70th minute substitution, Storey was able to apply pressure to the Davidson defense and get the offensive attack inside the box.
"We put Murita in to add pace to the game." said Horne. "She's very good one-on-one and we needed a bit more of that in the attack. Getting in that extra attacker that can take players on and beat that extra defender to slot a ball into Shannon [Wratchford] or Ashley [Clark] was a lot of the thought in that move."
With the Davidson centerbacks collapsing on Storey, she was able to find Clark who made an overlapping run to the left side of the box. Clark's clinical finishing ability proved effective again as she took a turning left footed shot to the opposite side of the frame and into the side netting to draw within one.
Campbell was unable to find the coveted equalizer in the final 12 minutes but didn't show lack of effort in those minutes as they fought until the final whistle. Campbell and Davidson evened out with six corners each as well as four shots on goal for both sides.
They look to rebound on Wednesday September 2 at home versus South Carolina State a 7 p.m. from the Eakes Athletic Complex.
