Defiance Drops 6-1 Decision to Hanover

HANOVER, IND. -- The Defiance College women's soccer team could not hang onto an early lead, dropping a Heartland Collegiate Athleteic Conference matchup to Hanover (Ind.) College, 6-1, on Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers played well to kick off the contest, taking the first seven shots of the contest, two shots saved by sophomore keeper Madi Bowman (Eaton). In the 36th minute, sophomore Kat Wicher (Toledo/Whitmer) took a shot from 25 yards out that went over the keeper's head and into the back of the net to spark DC to a 1-0 advantage. The Panthers buried the equalizer with just 25 seconds left in the first half to tie the match at 1-1 heading into halftime. 

After Hanover took the first five shots of the second half, they took a 2-1 lead in the 53rd minute. They found the back of the net twice in a span of under two minutes to give the Panthers a 4-1 advantage with 30 minutes to play. The home team scored twice more, once in the 69th minute and again in the 86th minute to come home with a 6-1 victory. 

Hanover finished with a decisive, 32-2, advantage in shots, with a 17-1 edge in shots on frame. Bowman finished the contest by making 10 saves, while allowing five goals. Freshman Rachel Lowell (Lakewood) made a save and allowed a goal in her nine minutes of action. 

Defiance will return to action on Wednesday, Oct. 25 with their final road contest with the season, as they travel to Anderson, Ind. for a matchup against the Anderson University Ravens. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.