Lady Flames soccer team wins GSC championship, hosts South Regional Championship
Photo by Reily Rogers, Lee Athletic Communications
The Lady Flames won the GSC Champion title on Nov. 7 (19-0), qualifying them for the NCAA Division II South Regional Championship. The team upheld an undefeated season until Nov. 21, when they hosted the semi-finals of the South Regional Championship. They lost to Florida Tech in overtime 3–2, due to a penalty kick.
“Being undefeated alone is such a motivator because you just want to keep going to see how far we can take this. I think that helps drive practice — everyone’s motivating each other,” said junior nursing major Mallory Hayden. “We’re pushing each other in practice because we practice how we play. I think that's important and keeping this streak going and making sure that we have fun.”
During the South Regional Championship match against Florida Tech, the Lady Flames outshot the visiting team 23-8, according to Lee University Athletics. Game leaders were as follows: Jordan Blair with one goal and shot on goal, Lauren Weimer with two shots, Riley Henry with six shots and three shots on goal. Lastly, Mallory Hayden with four shots and one shot on goal.
Head coach Chris Hennessey said he is proud of the team and how they played throughout this season.
“One word to describe this season is enjoyable. Too often, life tends to get so busy that we forget to enjoy the things we like to do. So we have made sure that having fun and enjoying soccer this year was a priority,” said Hennessey. “I think this season as a whole stands out in the fact that the atmosphere in the team has been fun all season.”
The Lady Flames thanked their supporters throughout the season and emphasized the importance of encouraging one another.
“This is one of the closest teams I’ve ever been a part of in my four years here at Lee. We all just get each other so well — we feed off each other,” said junior nursing major Lauren Weimer. “There’s not one person that doesn’t get along with somebody else — I think that’s been the biggest impact on how well we’ve done this season. We’re all constantly encouraging each other, being there for one another and just loving on each other.”
For more information on the Lady Flames soccer team, visit leeuflames.com.
