Auburn hands soccer its first loss

(PHOTO/ Zenith Shrestha) Sophomore foward Kendra Cashion takes the ball downfield in last Thursday’s matchup against Jacksonville State.Kennedy Roy The Troy soccer team opened the weekend with a gritty 2-1 against in-state rival Jacksonville State at home. The start of the season has been the best start Troy soccer has seen in over 20 years. Sophomore Nilou Asdigha and Grace Mirly scored on the day while Haleigh Mercer continued her dominance under the goal, posting four saves. The game began with the Trojans commanding possession of the ball, leading to six early shots, none of which would find the back of the net. This soon changed in the 40th minute when senior Kate Lorenz passed the ball to Kiersten Edlund who quickly got the ball to Asdigha. Asdigha found an open spot in the defense and connected for her first career goal, outing the Trojans up by one. Following the halftime break, the Gamecocks came out quick, scoring a goal to answer the Trojans, tying the game a 1-1. Troy continued to control possession and cashed in during the 76th minute of play. Edlund dished the ball to Grace Mirly for the diving header into the net. This put Troy up 2-1 late. The Trojans were able to hold onto the lead and seal the win, posting an undefeated 2-0 record this season at home nighttime games. The second matchup on the weekend would prove to be a tough one as Troy squared off against SEC powerhouse Auburn. Auburn gave Troy its first true loss on the year with a 3-0 defeat. The Trojans struggled to find any shots on goal during the game, but the best scoring opportunity came in the 14th minute when a corner kick by Edlund found Mirly, but was blocked by an Auburn keeper. Auburn would go on to score three first half goals as neither squad score in the scored half of play. Troy is set to return to action tomorrow afternoon, traveling to Baton Rouge to take on Southern University. Action is set to begin at 5 p.m.