Johnson State women's soccer dropped a 2-0 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) decision on Tuesday afternoon at the Green Mountain Eagles Game Field.
Green Mountain (1-8-0, 1-3-0 NAC) came out as the aggressors in the first half controlling the tempo of play and were rewarded in the 23rd minute when Maegan Laymon settled a throw in down the left sideline from teammate Jacqueline Kelsey, took a few touches to avoid defenders and fired a strike from a limited angle past Badgers' keeper Amber McCullock into the upper right corner.
Laymon nearly put the Eagles up by two later in the half as her direct kick from 25 yards out from the left wing was tipped smartly over the crossbar by McCullock.
Johnson's Maddison Prescott had several quality opportunities in the first half, especially one from in close where she fired a low strike towards the right post, but Eagles' keeper Kim Simonetti just managed to get an outstretched hand on it, to direct it outside the post.
JSC (7-5-0, 2-3-0 NAC) came out of halftime with an obvious determination as they carried the play throughout the majority of the second half and had several great scoring opportunities.
In the 60th minute the Badgers were awarded a free kick from about 30 yards away from goal. Shannon Larkin sent in a precise shot, but it skipped off the crossbar and over the goal. Five minutes later, Larkin looked to have notched the equalizer as she had what looked to be an open frame, but Simonetti made an outstanding save as she came across the goal mouth and deflected a hard struck ball just over the cross bar. Casey Hutchinson then had a glorious chance from close in in the 73rd minute, but raised her shot just high of the mark.
Just before the end of regulation as the visitors were crashing the net, the Eagles got a break in transition and Laymon got a break close in and put home her second of the game and sixth of the season to ice the victory.
Simonetti made nine saves, several of which were dazzling to earn her second clean sheet of the season, while McCullock turned aside seven shots in the loss.
Green Mountain will next travel to Lyndon State College on Saturday for a conference match scheduled for 1 p.m. Johnson will also be in action on Saturday as the Badgers take on NAC opponent Castleton State College at 1 p.m.
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