GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – From the onset, it appeared as though the King University soccer team was being pressure by Tusculum College on Monday night. Despite all the pressure, Olivia Drake kept the Pioneers off the board in the first half, but the Pioneers ultimately broke through for the lone goal of the game in the 54th minute to take the nonconference tilt 1-0.

The Pioneers (5-1-1) registered their first of 15 shots in the first half only nine seconds in, but Drake turned it away for her first save of the contest. Tusculum followed with three corner kicks in a four minute span, culminating in three shots, two of which were saved.

Tusculum continued to take shot after shot, but King (4-3) finally moved play to the other end of the field where Shalisa Barnett ripped King's first shot of the game, but it was blocked before ever reaching the Pioneer goalkeeper. Drake followed with two more saves in the 36th minute to keep the game scoreless as the game went to halftime.

King registered the first scoring chance of the second half as Rachel Thorpe laced a shot that went wide of the goal, and play moved to the other end of the field.

Following a corner kick, and a header that sailed high, Tusculum finally broke through in the 54th minute. Taylor Lewis took a cross from Jenique Thombs, who was on the goal line, and tapped the ball across the line to give the Pioneers the slim advantage.

The Pioneers kept pressure on the Tornado, and Drake kept coming up with save after save, making a career-high 10 stops in the contest. The chances for King came few and far between, but Hulda Sigurdardottir ripped King's lone shot on target in the 84th minute, but the shot was stopped as the Tornado fell 1-0.

Tusculum outshot the Tornado 26-8, including 15-1 in the first half. The Pioneers also had more corner kicks than King, 8-1.

King will be in action again on September 30 when they host Belmont Abbey College in a Conference Carolinas matchup. Kickoff from Parks Field is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

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