ROCKLIN, Calif. – Fresh off a trip to the Bay Area on Thursday, the Warriors were back on their home pitch, taking on the Knights of Warner Pacific. On an overcast September afternoon, lightning struck off the left foot of
Kaylee Gillespie as Jessup picked up win number one of the season.
Gillespie, now a junior, netted her first goal of the season in Jessup's 3-2 loss at Academy of Art on Thursday. Her head coach,
Amsalu Fantahun, said after Saturday's win that all it took was one goal to get her on the right trajectory.
"All she needed was the first goal," said Fantahun. "You can see her potential. Now, I expect her to goal more goals. She is different. She is at a different level. With the group of players we have this year, she will continue to improve and will be scoring more goals for us."
Gillespie netted Jessup's first goal of the day in the 36th minute, a strike from the top of the 18 that found the top left corner. Gillespie took a pass from freshman
Adelaide Mae Smith to set up the goal and put her side on top 1-0.
That 1-0 lead held for 21 minutes of play until the Knights leveled the match in the 57th minute. A corner kick from Shalece Easley was sent into the box, where Brin Wolvert got a head on the ball, which then found the net.
But thankfully for the Jessup fans in attendance, Gillespie was not done.
The second goal of the day for Gillespie came in the 72nd minute, another strike from the top of the 18. Gillespie collected the ball after a WPU deflection, setting her up to take a rip with her left foot. The ball never left the ground, but it did stretch past the reach of the goalkeeper, giving her side a 2-1 lead.
With the 2-1 victory, Jessup improves to 1-3-1 on the season.
"It's a progression," added Fantahun on his team. "We are still trying to find the right kind of group to play in our top performance. We lost a couple of games, then we started scoring. Now we've started winning. So, I think the team is going in the right direction."
Jessup now hits the road for a Labor Day match at Pacific Union. This will be the Warriors' fourth match in a week but afterward comes a week off before Jessup returns to action.
Fantahun offered his thoughts on the schedule, adding, "The positive side is that this gives us an opportunity to work on our soccer fitness. The negative side is that we are all exhausted. We don't have time to work on what we need to improve, but after Monday, whatever the outcome is, we will get a break and start preparations for a conference game."
Jessup will be back at home on September 12 to take on Academy of Art. The Warriors will then host the first two GSAC matches of the season that weekend.
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Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
