Pikeville, Ky. – It was a great day on the pitch for the UPIKE women's soccer team this evening. UPIKE won a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Midway University, a huge win for the Bears. Tonight's win over Midway gives the Bears a 3-0 start to the season, which is their best start since 2011.
 
The Bears came out on the attack early, with Kylie Gollihue leading the charge with four of the Bears 13 first half shots. After peppering the Eagles defense and goalkeeper with shots, Mya Holmes finally broke the tie at the 39:42 mark of the first half. This was Holmes' second goal of the 2022 campaign, and was the difference in this game.
 
The Bears spent a lot of time in the attacking end during this one. UPIKE had 15 shots on goal compared to Midway's eight. They also dominated in total shots with a 24-15 advantage over the Eagles.
 
The Eagles turned up the heat in the second half, getting some good looks on net early. But the Bears suffocating defense and junior goalkeeper Elizabeth Lukens were able to keep the Eagles off the scoresheet. Lukens saved all 8 of the Eagles shots on goal for her first shutout of the season. Lukens' performance tonight was highlighted by a diving save made off a Midway free kick late in the second half.
 
UPIKE head women's soccer coach Logan Langseth was very pleased with tonight's performance. "Today the team played upon the three pillars of the program, resilience, passion, and strength. Playing 1-0 for 50 minutes is a hard task to manage. And manage they did," said Langseth. Coach Langseth is in his first-year coaching and has the Bears off to a fantastic start!