Franklin inaugural games end in split with Spalding
Franklin opened up the fall athletic season on the newly renovated Elba L. and Gene Portteus Branigin Athletic Field against the Golden Eagles of Spalding University. The women defeated the Golden Eagles 2-1, while the men ended in a 3-3 tie.
The Franklin College Grizzlies women’s team looked to improve on their mark of 3-13-1 from last season and opened up with a win. In minute 38, Franklin broke the scoreless tie as freshman Vanessa Benham put the ball past the Golden Eagles keeper and recorded her first collegiate goal. Freshman Anna Wilson added an assist to Benham’s goal. The half ended with the Grizzlies up 1-0. Freshman Alicia LaBonne and Benham each had one shot on goal in the first half.
The Grizzlies held the Golden Eagles scoreless until the 85th minute when Spalding’s Leah Wright broke through for the Eagles tying the score. However, in the 90th minute, Franklin scored after a foul outside of the penalty box. With time running down, sophomore Natalie Downs netted the winning goal with 2.4 seconds left on the clock to seal the victory for Franklin. This victory marks the first on Branigin Field and the second consecutive year the women have opened up with a victory. LaBonne, Wilson Downs and junior Lauren Hawes each had a shot on goal in the second half.
The Franklin men’s team wasted no time getting their first goal of the season in the 4th minute of play. Senior Grant Krevda garnered his 13th career goal off of a corner kick to put the Grizzlies up 1-0. Krevda was not done in the first half as in the 28th minute he netted his 14th all time with an assist coming from Freshman Brad Parrett. Spalding responded with a goal from Reid Gross to get the Golden Eagles on the board. The half would end with Franklin leading 2-1. Seniors Cody Graman, Mitchell Waldroup, Krevda and freshman Parrett all registered shots on goal in the first half.
The Grizzlies held the Golden Eagles to just one goal until Jon Martinez tied the game at 2 in the 73rd minute of play. Evan Childers of Spalding extended the lead to 3-2 in favor of the Golden Eagles in the 78th minute of play. A foul committed by Spalding’s Makiil Aahmed in the 80th minute proved fatal for the Golden Eagles. The foul resulted in a penalty kick that sophomore Drew Ferguson capitalized on to push the score to 3-3. The game continued in two 10-minute overtime periods, which still did not break the tie.
Both the men and women travel to Eureka College and Knox College over the Labor Day weekend as the women will look to improve to 3-0 and the men are looking for the first win of the year.
