Faulkner University

MACON, Ga. - The Lady Eagle offense rolled in a 6-1 victory over Wesleyan to keep the driver's seat for the eight seed in the SSAC Women's Soccer Championship Thursday afternoon at Panoz Field.

In the penultimate SSAC matchup of the season, Faulkner made its first trip to Wesleyan for a conference matchup and came out firing to dominate the play in the first half, but Wesleyan's Brook Hankinson kept the match close with six saves in the first 12 minutes. 

Faulkner finally got past Hankison on the seventh shot as Cassie Jackson followed up a rebound from DeAireal Williams's initial shot that was saved to make it 1-0. 

Wesleyan got one back in the 25th minute taking advantage of a missed clearance chance to tie the match in the 25th minute.

Sydney Steele found Yury Santaclara in the box in the 33rd minute where the senior rocketed home a high shot to the right to score what would prove to be the match winner. 

Just 30 seconds before halftime, Jackson is pulled down in the box and converts the ensuing penalty to make it 3-1. 

Jackson finished her second consecutive hat trick in the 48th when Santaclara raced down the left wing before laying off to Steele who picked out the striker who scored her 39th goal at Faulkner. She is now averaging a goal a match and has the fifth most goals in a season and the most by anyone not named Nikki Jagt. 

In the 67th minute, Jordan Parker picked up a ball in the box off a set piece and passed back to her twin sister Brooke who rocketed a ball into the top opposite corner to make it 5-1. It was Brooke's first goal in SSAC play this season.

In the late stages of the match, Steele, the team leader in assists, scored her first goal of the season, converting an 82nd minute penalty. 

Down the stretch, Taylor Waters picked up five saves in the last 15 minutes to end the evening with seven saves. 

Faulkner earned its fifth win in SSAC play, tying the second most wins in conference play in program history. 

With Point drawing Thomas on Thursday, Faulkner sits two points clear of the Skyhawks and in sole possession of eighth. The Lady Eagles secure a playoff spot with a victory Saturday at Abraham Baldwin in a 10 a.m. kickoff and could climb as high as tied for sixth depending on results and tiebreakers around the league.  Read Full Article