The No. 2-ranked Emory University women’s soccer team opened the NCAA Tournament at home at the George W. Woodruff Physical Education Center Stadium with back-to-back shutout victories on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16, securing their spot in the Sweet 16. With these victories, the Eagles’ record now stands at 18-1-1, setting a new program record for most wins in a single season and tying the 2011 team’s record of 16 shutouts.
Emory outshot Belhaven University (Miss.) and Rhodes College (Tenn.) for a combined 58-2 total shot differential, reflecting both the Eagles’ skilled attack and a defensive unit that did not allow their opponents any scoring opportunities. Head coach Sue Patberg said the team had to make big adjustments because they faced two teams with different strategies.
“They play a completely different style,” Patberg said. “You have to kind of reset, and you hope that you have momentum going into the next day, but you can’t count on it.”
The Eagles’ dominance was evident in their 6-0 win over Belhaven on Nov. 15, where Emory set the tone early. Junior forward Kaitlyn Nimmer put the Eagles on the board in the 14th minute, tallying her 10th goal of the season. Freshman defender Siena Elder followed by netting her first collegiate goal in the 31st minute. The Eagles’ offense continued to build in the second half, scoring four more goals: headers from both senior defender Michelle Davidson and sophomore forward Emory Bozzuti, a second goal from Nimmer and another header by junior forward Zia Tomlin.
Davidson, a two-time University Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year, said the game showed how the team thrives when they are building off one another’s momentum.
“We started off a little slow, and then we were able to recompose ourselves and come out with more energy,” Davidson said. “Once we were able to pick up the energy, and also the energy that the bench provided us, it really helped to spur the game on and helped us score four goals in the second half.”
Senior goalkeeper Sophia Garcia, who anchored both shutouts of the weekend, said the team’s chemistry has played a major role in navigating challenges.
“Our biggest strengths was our team cohesion and our consistent communication,” Garcia said. “It’s not about being cocky but confident, and ensuring that we are doing the right things to keep the ball moving and go forward with it.”
While the team won 2-0 against Rhodes on Nov. 16, the game presented new challenges. Despite the Eagles outshooting Rhodes 10-0 in the first half, the score remained locked at 0-0. Junior midfielder and defender Madison Teng said their stagnant offense forced them to change their approach.
“Coming out of the first half, none of us were really happy with our performance,” Teng said. “During the halftime, we were having a conversation, we’re like, ‘We are so much better than this.’ And I think we really rallied behind that.”
The deadlock was finally broken in the 57th minute when Teng intercepted a loose ball in the midfield and sent a long pass to Nimmer, who beat a defender to score her 12th goal of the season. Teng solidified the win 16 minutes later, slipping past the Rhodes defenders and scoring a goal that she was particularly proud of.
“There was a ball coming back from [senior midfielder and defender] Riley [Miller], and I was able to get a good touch on it and push it past the defender,” Teng said. “I had a really fun one-on-one with the keeper … and I was able to get a touch around her and score a goal.”
The game ended on a high note, marking the team’s 16th shutout of the season as they now advance to the Sweet 16. Looking ahead, Davidson said securing the championship remains the ultimate goal.
“As a senior, winning in the last year, it would be such a good way to end my soccer career,” Davidson said. “To be able to end on that note would be pretty amazing.”
Garcia reiterated that same sentiment, noting that a championship would showcase all the work that she and the program have put in to get to this point.
“A culmination of my life’s work in a single year — a culmination of not just my work, but the coaching staff, the team, the athletics program,” Garcia said. “I could probably die happy the next day. It would mean everything to me.”
The Eagles are now set to face Johns Hopkins University (Md.) in the Sweet 16 round on Nov. 22.
