Herndon's Late Winner Lifts JMU Over Richmond

Friday, September 18

Harrisonburg, Va.

5 p.m.

James Madison University

6-3-0

Richmond

2-5-0

Richmond

James Madison

9/18/2015 7:10:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. - Breaking a scoreless tie in the 87th minute, junior forward Ashley Herndon scored the game winner off of a double assist to lift the James Madison women's soccer team over Richmond, 1-0 on Friday night at University Park.

The Dukes (6-3-0) earned three corner kicks in a row between the 86th and 88th minutes with the final attempt paying dividends. Senior midfielder Kelly Kerrigan struck the ball right-footed into the box where she found freshman Hailey Stein. Stein then flicked the ball into the crowded area in front of the goal, connecting with Herndon who put the ball in the back of the net. The goal is Herndon's sixth of the season, matching her total in each of her freshman and sophomore seasons.

The Spiders (2-5-0) came close to going ahead in the eighth minute. Lexi Prillaman fired from just outside the box, forcing a diving save by redshirt-senior goalkeeper Ellen Forrest. The ball deflected back to a Richmond player making a run into the box. The Spider slotted the ball past Forrest, but the goal was disallowed when the line judge raised his flag to indicate offside.

The Dukes had their best chance prior to Herndon's game-winner when Allie Bunner was played on-goal in the 84th minute. Kerrigan sent a cross in from the right side to Bunner who took two touches before Spiders' goalkeeper Katie Brennan came off her line and slid forward to make the save.

Both teams peppered the shots throughout, but of Richmond's 15 shots and JMU's 14 shots, only six total ended up on goal. The Dukes found their edge with nine corners to the Spiders' two.

Rising the Record Board
With her goal tonight, Ashley Herndon has tied Sarah Cebulski for 16^th in program history with 18 career goals scored. She also passes Samantha Andersch for 18^th in JMU women's soccer history with 55 career points. The game marks Herndon's 50^th career game, 31 less than Cebulski and 21 less than Andersch.

Senior Spotlight
Not to be outdone, senior Kelly Kerrigan earned her career-high fifth assist of the 2015 campaign. The Downington, Pa. native has improved each year under head coach David Lombardo, assisting on one goal as a freshman and three as both a sophomore and junior.

Coach's Quote
"Richmond really took it to us in the first half… but we weathered the storm," said head coach David Lombardo. "The second half we switched systems a little bit and gave the girls time to find their intensity levels and their courage, but I thought we really dominated that second half."

Next Up
The Dukes return to action on Sunday, Sept. 20 when they travel to West Virginia to take on the Thundering Herd of Marshall. Through eight games this year, they have earned a record of 6-1-1.