VALDOSTA –– The Valdosta State women’s soccer team posted a 2-0 victory Thursday evening over No. 17 Lee as sophomore Lauren Hicks scored two goals and senior Riley Tennant had both assists in the win.

VSU (10-6, 8-4 GSC) won just its second match in eight tries against Lee since the Blazers began women’s soccer in 2011. The two goals by the Blazers marked the most in the series for VSU, while it was the first home victory for the Blazers over the Flames as VSU won 1-0 in Cleveland, Tenn., in 2017.

Thursday’s victory gave the Blazers their fourth-straight win and the ten wins on the year marked the third-straight season of 10 or more victories under head coach Stephen Andrew. It also marked the sixth time in the nine-year history of the program VSU has won ten or more games.

VSU played an outstanding match from the get go as Hicks finished the game with three shots on two on frame for her sixth and seventh goals of the season, while Tennant finished with one shot and two assists as she leads the team with seven assists for the year. Junior goalkeeper Caroline Embler had eight saves and her sixth clean sheet of the season, while making a number of tremendous saves in the victory.

As a team, VSU had eight shots with four on frame, along with two corner kicks. Lee (13-4, 9-3 GSC) had four shots with three on frame from Riley Engles and Mallory Hayden added three shots on frame off the bench. The Flames had 14 shots with eight on goal and tallied five corner kicks in the match.

Both teams had good looks in the early going as Engles fired a shot an save in the first two minutes, while Tennant hit one just wide as Lee goalkeeper Mollie Wheeler came out for the challenge in the seventh minute.

Off a corner kick for the Blazers in the 38th minute, senior Ashley Lewis had a great header, but Wheeler made a great diving save and the rebounded shot went off the post in VSU’s best chance to that point.

Neither team could get the breakthrough goal in the first half as Lee had seven shots with three on frame in the first stanza, while VSU had five shots with one on frame. Embler had three saves in the half, while Wheeler had one save.

Embler made two great saves in back-to-back shots preserving the scoreless tie as she had to reach high for both balls to deflect them out of danger. In transition, senior Riley Tennant had a great pass with some nifty footwork to sophomore Lauren Hicks as she beat Wheeler for a score in the 66th minute and a 1-0 lead. It was Hicks’ sixth goal of the year and Tennant’s sixth assist of the season.

In the 88th minute, Hicks and Tennant connected once again as Tennant centered to Hicks for the score and a 2-0 lead. Tennant came down the near sideline, following a yellow card on the Flames, and dished to Hicks in the middle for the score.

The Blazers conclude the 2019 regular season Saturday at 1 p.m. at the VSU Soccer Complex versus Shorter for Senior Day. Prior to the match, the Blazers will honor six seniors playing in their final regular season home match in a Blazer uniform.