Box Score ELON, N.C. – Freshman Bethany Harford scored the game-winner in overtime to lead Elon University women's soccer to a 1-0 victory in its first match of the regular season on Thursday night, Aug. 22, against Canisius.
 
"I was very pleased with the way the team played tonight," head coach Neil Payne said. "In the first game, you can never fully know where the team is at, but the stats don't lie. We had 26 shots to their two, so that's an indication of who was in control for most of the game. We knew they had some good players, specifically on the counter attack, and it showed in spells throughout the second half. We missed a lot of chances tonight, however we persevered and were able to sustain the pressure we were putting on them. The biggest difference between this year and last year is that while we did create a lot of chances last year, we leaked goals. Tonight, we were just solid in the back, our back line and goal keeper were fantastic. Our overall work rate was good, we were able to rotate the squad and we started four freshman. So there was a lot of positives as we move forward."
 
The Phoenix moved to 1-0 overall, also earning its first victory at Rudd Field this season. With the loss, Canisius moved to 0-1 on the season.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
In the first half, Elon dominated in racking up a 15-0 advantage in shots and a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks. Harford attempted the first shot of the game early on, firing a shot that fell just wide of the net. A couple of minutes later, Carson Jones got in on the action, nearly scoring on a header in the 10th minute of play.
 
Jessica Carrieri came up just short of breaking the 0-0 tie in the 33rd minute, rocketing three consecutive shots from within the Canisius penalty box. Her first and second shots were saved and blocked respectively, while the third rolled out of play just outside of the right post.
 
Elon continued their strong play early in the second half, as Harford and Jasmine Bryant both had shots deflected by Canisius defenders.
 
With time winding down in regulation, Jones's header in the 88th minute almost found the back of the net, but Canisius keeper Alana Rossi was able to keep the Phoenix from scoring. As the second half was coming to a close, Harford got free behind the Griffins defense and shot a rocket that could have ended the game, but Rossi was once again there for the save.
 
In overtime, the Phoenix kept up the pressure, forcing Canisius to concede a corner kick in the 95th minute. Elon didn't waste the opportunity as Hannah Doherty laid down a beautiful pass to Harford who took a dribble and fired a laser into the upper left corner of the net.
 
In the match, the Phoenix outshot the Griffins 26-2, including a 12-1 advantage in shots on goal. In goal for Elon, Katrin Hauksdottir made one save on the way to picking up her first clean sheet.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix returns to Rudd Field for their second home match of the regular season on Sunday, Aug. 25, against High Point. The match is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.