MONROE, La. — The ULM Warhawks (3-6-1, 0-1 SBC) fell in the Sun Belt opener to Old Dominion (3-5, 1-0 SBC) in a chippy 1-0 contest. The Monarchs outshot the Warhawks 7-1, capturing three shots on target. While the Warhawks had three corner kick attempts and the Monarchs were called offsides four times, it was ODU who came out victorious. The match remained chippy, however, with each team recording 12 fouls.
Early fouls kept tensions high in the opening half of the match. The Monarchs got out to an early offensive push, with a shot on target coming in the fifth minute. With the Warhawk defense blocking shots and preventing the score, the contest remained evenly matched.
A yellow card came for the Warhawks toward
Ines de Lope Casanova, giving ODU multiple set piece opportunities. In the 32
nd minute, it was Reese Kulha who caught the pass from Alaina Subong for the 1-0 lead in the first half for the visitors. As ULM tried to respond, two more yellow cards came for the home team as the Monarchs closed the half ahead by a goal.
A handful of fouls opened the second half as well, ULM fighting tough to find the equalizer. But the ODU defense held strong against Warhawk forwards. The Monarchs attempted a few off-target shots, maintaining possession throughout the attack.
The Warhawks snagged two corner kicks in the final minutes, looking for a score. But ODU's defense and goalkeeper Ellie Goodrich prevented the equalizer, securing the 1-0 victory and edge in conference play.
Jenni Huttunen logged the lone shot for ULM. Goalkeeper
Jen Handy remained in goal for all 90 minutes, logging two saves while allowing a goal.
ULM will be back in action on the road, traveling east to face James Madison on September 24. The teams will kick off in Harrisonburg at 6 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. ET.
