GAINESVILLE, Ga.— The Montreat women's soccer team picked up a critical Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) victory Saturday afternoon when the Cavaliers traveled to Georgia for a matchup with the Brenau University Golden Tigers. Utilizing two goals in both the first and second halves en route to a 4-1 triumph, the Cavs improved to 4-4 overall and 4-2 in AAC action.
 
Early in the competition, it was placement of shot attempts that made a significant difference in the scoreline. Though neither side tried a shot over the initial 9:25 of the game, Montreat put its first five attempts on net, resulting in a trio of BU saves and a pair of quick strikes.
 
In the 18^th minute, a corner kick off the foot of Sofia Brotherton found its way to Olivia Ostwalt, who buried her second goal of the year to give the Cavaliers a 1-0 advantage. Just seven minutes later, Brotherton got onto the scoresheet again, this time with her third goal of the season, doubling Montreat's edge midway through the opening period.
 
The remainder of the first frame featured more shots from Brenau; however, only a couple troubled Cavs goalie Logan White, who stopped each of the home team's four shots on goal to keep the Golden Tigers off the board through 45 minutes. Although BU attempted nine shots to Montreat's eight, six of the Cavaliers' eight shots were on target up to that point, while Brenau placed just four on goal.
 
Shortly after the start of the second half, Brenau (4-4, 2-4 AAC) tallied its first goal of the match at the 46:38 mark to pull within one. Despite the small setback, the Cavaliers continued to push, grabbing an insurance score off the foot of Kim Aalbue in the 61^st minute that reestablished the 2-goal lead before Katherine Wombwell put the exclamation point on the win with 6:01 remaining on the clock.
 
Montreat had additional opportunities to extend its advantage as shots from both JJ Aalbue and Kara Gilsdorf hit the woodwork in the second period; however, the Cavs sealed their dominant road victory with the 4-1 result. Overall, the Cavaliers turned in an impressive performance, outshooting their opposition 18-10, 9-5 on target. Montreat also led the corner count 3-2, while White concluded the match with her four saves in net.
 
When asked about the important result, head coach Kristin Eggert mentioned, "Road wins can be tough to come by so to do it in a decisive fashion is a testament to the quality of this team."
 
Women's soccer now heads to Kentucky for a contest at Union College (Ky.) on Wednesday. Kickoff in Barbourville is scheduled for 5 p.m.