Box Score FINAL SCORE: Vermont 10, Coastal Carolina 9
CONWAY, S.C. – Vermont (1-0) fought hard for its first victory of the season, defeating Coastal Carolina (0-1) 10-9 on Friday afternoon at Brooks Stadium. McKenzie Ballard led the Catamounts with four goals in the win.
 
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COACH'S QUOTE
"We had to overcome adversity in the first quarter and I am so proud of our resiliency to win," head coach Sarah Dalton Graddock said. "Especially this early in the season, a huge team win that we will celebrate and learn from going into Sunday."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Chants jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals from Avery McIlwaine and Sydney McClure in the opening minutes.
• Charlotte Sadler denied several scoring chances for Vermont, turning away Ava Vasile, Maddie Erskine, and Jane Trauger.
• Coastal Carolina's lead stretched to 3-0 on goal from Monica Manley with 6:22 left in the first quarter.
• Vasile netted Vermont's first goal of the season with 5:04 remaining in the opening frame. The graduate student scooped up a groundball and quickly fired a shot past Sadler to make the score 3-1. The score would hold for the remainder of the quarter.
• Erskine cut the UVM deficit to one with her first goal of the season, coming on a free-position opportunity with 11:50 left in the second quarter.
• Trauger's first tally of the year tied the game at 3-3 with 10:11 left in the opening half. The sophomore cut to the middle and rifled a shot into the net for the equalizer.
• CCU's Bethany Bruck quickly countered with a goal to go back in front, up 4-3 with 8:38 left in the half.
• Erskine added her second goal of the 0:18 later, cutting the Coastal Carolina lead to tie the game at 4-4 with 8:20 to go in the second quarter.
• Alyson Mascolo and Ballard exchanged goals over the next few minutes as the two squads were tied 5-5 with 5:30 remaining in the half.
• Claire Adelhelm's first goal of the season gave the Cats their first lead, up 6-5 with 3:54. UVM would remain in front heading into halftime.
• McIlwaine and McClure started the second half just like they did the first, scoring back-to-back goals to take the lead, up 7-6 with 12:42 to go in the third quarter.
• Ballard answered with her second goal of the game to tie the score at 7-7 with 5:29 left in the frame. The two teams would enter the final quarter knotted up.
• Manley put the Chanticleers back in the lead with a goal 3:52 into the fourth quarter. Ballard promptly tied the game 1:28 later to make the score 8-8 with 8:40 remaining.
• Trauger gave the Catamounts a 9-8 lead when she converted on a woman-up opportunity with 6:32 left.
• Ballard netted the game-winning tally with 4:43 remaining, once again on a woman-up opportunity. Brittany Barton forced a turnover in the defensive zone, ran the length of the field in transition and found Ballard for the goal.
• Manley's even-strength goal cut the CCU deficit to one with 1:57 remaining.
• A free-position opportunity for the Chants with 0:35 left in the game tested rookie goalkeeper Anna Rosenberger (8 saves), but the Catamount denied the opportunity to ensure the win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ballard's four-goal game matched a career high. The graduate student tallied seven shots, with five directed on goal. She also picked up one groundball.
• Erskine's two goals came on a team-high eight shots. The junior registered seven shots on goal.
• Trauger had two goals on seven shots. She also picked up one groundball.
• Rosenberger made three of her eight saves in the fourth quarter.
• With the win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to Vermont Children's Trust Foundation as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. Since its inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $94,000 to local non-profits through the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative.

UP NEXT
Vermont returns to action on Sunday (Feb. 11) when it visits Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C. The opening draw is set for 1 p.m. ET. The matchup will broadcast live on ESPN+.