ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Lindenwood women's soccer team (1-0-0) opened the 2026 campaign with a 1-0 shutout win over Bellarmine (0-1-0) at Hunter Stadium on Thursday night. The Lions put in a dominant all-around effort in the sweltering August heat, racking up a total of 21 shots while limiting the Knights to only four attempts.
The Lions were on the front foot before the first hydration break, controlling much of the possession and outshooting the Knights 4-0 through the first 20 minutes with a pair of shots on goal.
The Lions kept the pressure on following the refresher, and in the half's 44th minute,
Mackenzie Compton got on the end of a great ball out the back from
Sophia Mueller before fending off the Bellarmine defense in front of goal and sliding the ball past the BU keeper and into the net for Lindenwood's first goal of 2026.
LU recorded a total of nine shots in the half, including five on goal, compared to just two for Bellarmine.
Though it did not result in a second goal, Lindenwood continued their attack in the second half, adding another 12 shots with four more on target. Meanwhile, the Lions continued to suffocate the Knights offense, giving up just two more shots through the final 45.
Quotable
"It's always great to get the first win of the year", said Lions head coach
Dave Musso, continuing, "We played well in all phases. I'm happy with our structure, tenacity on and off the ball, and our ability to perform well at home."Â
Match Notes
- Thursday night's win moved the Lions to 4-1-0 in season openers during the Division-I era.
- Mackenzie Compton's goal was the 13th of her career, tying her for fifth among all Lindenwood players during the NCAA era (since 2011).
- Caroline Ritter picked up the 19th shutout of her career, which is five more than the next closest LU goalkeeper during the NCAA era.
- The Lions' four shots allowed were the third fewest in a single-game since the beginning of the 2022 season.
Next Up
Lindenwood travels to Saint Louis on Sunday for their first road test of the season. Kickoff against the Billikens is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
