The Women of Asheville City kept up the pressure on USLW-newcomer One Knox’s defense before it finally cracked by way of a 2nd half Yuliia Khyrstiuk goal as Asheville went on to take all three points at Covenant Health Park in new Head Coach Maxi Viera’s first game in charge.

The action started early as within the first 15 minutes, the Women in Blue had already forced a couple of saves from One Knox keeper Ally Zazzara.

Just a few minutes later the Women in Blue were once again knocking on the door but a couple of timely defensive interventions kept the Blues out of the Knoxville net. 

In the 37th minute, Rebecca Carr struck one from long-range on the left flank that beat Zazzara before ringing off of the crossbar and landing in the box. The ricochet was cleared out by the Knoxville defense as yet another Asheville chance went begging.

In the 56th minute, the Blues nearly struck gold again but were once again denied by the dimensions of a regulation soccer goal. Khrystiuk pounced on a ball in the left half-space in the attacking third and unleashed a long-range cannon of a shot that narrowly whistled over the crossbar.

In the 69th minute, the Blues would finally break through courtesy of Khrystiuk. A turnover from Knoxville in the midfield was promptly pinged to Lucie Bertrand in the center of the box about 10 yards out from the edge of the box. Bertrand took a few dribbles away from the goal with a defender on her back before turning and laying a ball off to Khrystiuk on the left flank who drove towards the keeper with her inside foot and dinked the ball past her and into the net for the Asheville’s first goal of the season and only goal of the match.

The Blues would then set out to defend the goal and see this one out and that is exactly what they did, aided by two brilliant saves by Alison Little in the 87th minute including one from in close.

This win marks Head Coach Maxi Viera’s first victory in charge of the Women in Blue at the first time of asking. 

Up next, the Women in Blue return to Greenwood Field on May 17th for the home opener. The Women in Blue will also be home on May 24th as they host Birmingham Legion WFC at 4:30PM as part of a double-header in tandem with The Men’s team as they kick off their South Central Division title defense on May 24th at home against league newcomer Apotheos FC at 7:30PM. You can purchase tickets for those games here.