Western Carolina 0, Elon 0
Cullowhee, N.C. ? Western Carolina out-shot Elon 23-5 and held a 12-3 advantage in corner kicks, but the Catamounts could not put a ball in the back of the net as the two teams fought to a 0-0 tie Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Athletic Complex on Western’s Senior Day.
With the day’s results around the Southern Conference, Western Carolina (9-7-3; 5-3-2 SoCon) will be the fifth seed and play at fourth-seed College of Charleston on Tuesday, which is tentatively set for 7 pm. Elon (6-10-2; 3-5-2 SoCon) will be the eighth-seed and face regular-season champion UNC Greensboro Tuesday. The semifinal and final rounds of the 2006 SoCon Women’s Soccer Championship will be played this Friday and Sunday, respectively, at the Catamount Sports Complex.
The rest of the SoCon Tournament field includes second-seed Davidson hosting seventh-seed Georgia Southern, while third-seed Furman will host sixth-seed Appalachian State.
Western took early control of Sunday’s match with the Phoenix and dominated play on their half of the pitch throughout the period. The Cats took 12 of their 23 shots in the period with Elon keeper Lizz Johnson getting four saves. Johnson would finish the game with 10 saves.
The second half was similar to the first. However, on Elon’s first corner kick of the frame, Katie Persichini sent a ball in to the box, which Susannah Gianakos headed toward the Catamount goal. Western’s senior keeper Alesha Row was able to get her hand on the ball and turned away Elon’s lone scoring opportunity of the day.
That would end up being Row’s only save on the afternoon. She was credited with her 19th career shutout, which gives her sole possession of the Western career record in the category surpassing Mandi Tinsley (1999-02). Earlier this season, Row, who holds WCU’s single-season record for shutouts with 13 last year, tied the all-time record in the 0-0 tie at Francis Marion.
In overtime, Western held a 5-0 advantage in shots, while having five corner kick opportunities as well in the two, 10-minute overtime periods.
Leading the way for Western was junior Heather Dittmer, who took seven shots, including three on goal. Freshman Nikki Collins also had four shots, three of which were on goal for the Cats.
Davidson 4, Chattanooga 1
DAVIDSON, N.C. Freshman Suzanne Sittko (Greenwood Village, Colo.) continued her continued her dazzling first year as a Wildcat by netting her sixth and seventh goals of the season while assisting on two others in leading the Davidson women's soccer team to a 4-1 regular-season finale win over visiting Chattanooga on Sunday, Oct. 29. Davidson improved its record to 11-6-2 overall and 7-3-0 in league play. It has won four straight and five of its last six contests. Chattanooga finished out its season at 3-11-3 and 0-8-2 in SoCon action.
With the win, the Wildcats earned the number two seed for the Southern Conference Tournament to be held this coming week. By securing its high seed, the Wildcats are also assured that they will host a first-round game at Alumni Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. The game will be the first time since 1999 that Davidson has hosted a first round game and first under the guidance of head coach Greg Ashton. From 2001-05, all three rounds of the tournament were held at a host site.
Sittko wasted no time in making sure the Wildcats would secure the number two seed, scoring just over two minutes into the start of the game thanks to a great lead pass from fellow freshman Katharine Laco (Bethesda, Md.). Laco was on the far side of the field when she sent a nice touch pass to a streaking Sittko in the box, who took two steps and chipped the ball into the left side of the goal for a 1-0 Davidson advantage.
Then at the 23:34 mark, sophomore Tracy McCausland (Albuquerque, N.M.) scored her second straight goal in as many games when Sittko passed the ball to the sophomore, who blasted one in just outside the top of the 18-yard box for a 2-0 Wildcat lead. It was McCausland's sixth goal of the year, a career-best, and the seventh of her career.
Chattanooga made things interesting though when the Mocs were able to strike for their first and only goal of the game in the 31st minute. Chelsea Hurst netted her team-leading sixth goal of the season with a blast from 23 yards out, sending the ball over the head of Wildcat freshman goalie Loring Ward (Charleston, S.C.) to cut the lead down to one, 2-1, heading into halftime.
The score remained 2-1 till Davidson finally put the game away in the 79th minute after having numerous looks on goal throughout the second half when freshman Courtney Hart (Ashland, Mass.) found the back of the net for the first time in her collegiate career off a cross from Sittko for a 3-1 lead.
Sittko capped off her outstanding game with the final goal when she received a through ball from senior Heidi Wilbrandt (Woodstock, Ill.), while breaking away from the defense and went one-on-one with goalie Stacey Matthiessen for her sixth point of the game and a final score of 4-1 in favor of Davidson.
Sittko finished the last two weeks of the regular-season as one of the hottest players in the SoCon. On Oct. 19 and 22, she hit two game-winners in leading the Wildcats to 1-0 wins over College of Charleston and Western Carolina. The freshman's late minute heroics earned her the women's soccer SoCon Player of the Week on Oct. 24. She also got a nod on the Soccer Buzz Elite Feet National Team of the Week on Oct 25, becoming only the second player in program history to be named to the team. Her multi-goal and assist game today was a season-best, while her six points tied junior Kristen Koehrn (La Mesa, Calif.) for the most points in a game this year.
The 'Cats outshot Chattanooga 27-6, with 12 of those shots being on goal.
Sittko finished with six shots, while three other players ended with three shots each.
Ward remained unbeaten in goal for Davidson, improving to 3-0-0 with the win and earned two saves. Matthiessen recorded eight saves in the losing effort.
Before the game, seniors Cameron Hardesty (Plano, Texas), Jessica Lahre (San Diego, Calif.), Anne Stevens (Bexley, Ohio), Amanda Traver (Duanesburg, N.Y.), Wilbrandt and Maggie Womack (New Bern, N.C.) were all honored for Senior Day as they played their final regular-season game.
Davidson will now play host to Georgia Southern in the first round of the SoCon Tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at Alumni Stadium at 7 p.m.
Furman 6, The Citadel 0
Greenville, S.C. -- Anna Betton scored two goals and Jennifer Dobbs notched her first career shutout as Furman blanked The Citadel 6-0 in the regular season finale for both teams on Senior Day Sunday afternoon at Stone Soccer Stadium.
The victory helped the Lady Paladins secure the third seed and a first round home match in this week’s Southern Conference Women’s Soccer Championships. Furman, who finishes the regular season 9-9-1 overall and
6-3-1 in league play, will host its first round match on Tuesday evening at a time to be announced against either Western Carolina or Appalachian State.
Betton struck first for the Lady Paladins in the 17th minute. Katie Tucker served a long ball over the defense and Betton slotted a shot past The Citadel goalkeeper Brit Bunnell at 16:24. Less than three minutes later, Chelsea McKie played a through ball to Betton who centered a pass to Rachel Fry before the sophomore found the back of the net to up the lead to 2-0.
Senior Kate Johnson tallied her second goal of the season on assist from Tannah Castro and Lucy Martin at 31:34. Martin passed to the middle and Castro layed the ball off to Johnson who hammered a 35-yard shot that dipped under the cross bar.
After an own goal made the score 4-0 at 51:52, Emily Krankowski uncorked a 20-yard blast that beat Bunnell for her second goal of the season. Betton capped the scoring at 86:03 with her league-leading 11th goal of the campaign. The Greensboro, N.C., native slotted a low shot towards the left corner that bounced in off of the post to give Furman the final 6-0 margin.
The Lady Paladins compiled a 39-3 edge in shots and 4-1 advantage in corner kicks. Dobbs needed just one save to tally the clean sheet while Bunnell stopped 11 shots in 57:48 in net for The Citadel.
Wofford 1, Appalachian State 1
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Freshman Kendra Merchant netted her team-high seventh goal of the season to tie the score in the second half but neither team could add another over the final 50 minutes as Wofford tied Appalachian State, 1-1, in double overtime Southern Conference women's soccer action Sunday afternoon at Snyder Field in Spartanburg, S.C.
Merchant was awarded the penalty kick following a Mountaineer foul inside the 18-yard box. She lined up and placed her attempt in the lower left corner past a diving Emma White to knot the score at 59:43. The PK was the first by a Terrier this season.
Appalachian State (9-8-1, 5-4-1 SoCon) had taken the early lead at 12:28 when Jaclyn Hoffman assisted on a Dana Murphy goal. Murphy's first shot was stopped by Wofford goalkeeper Austin Somers before she put in her own rebound over Somers' head.
Both teams had several other chances to add the game winner but were denied by either goalkeeper or the opposing defense.
The Terriers recognized Jessica Connett, Bernie Sikes and Somers prior to the game as part of Senior Day ceremonies. The trio played their final contest at Snyder Field Sunday.
Somers finishes her career second in school history with 13 shutouts and third with 247 saves, a 1.32 goals against average and 4790:40 minutes played. Her 1.05 goals against average this season is a career high and ties her with Ileana Moschos's 1996 mark for the third best in single-season school history.
Merchant's seven goals is the most by a Wofford (6-7-4, 3-5-2 SoCon) player since Faith Stewart also tallied seven in 2001 and 2002.
Junior Whitney Steelman finished the campaign with 18 points, one higher than Merchant. The 18 points is the most by a Terrier since Stewart had 35 in 2000. Steelman's 10 assists on the season also fall one short of the single-season school record held by Emily Olmstead in 1999.
Wofford just missed qualifying for the Southern Conference Tournament. The Terriers needed either a win or tie against the Mountaineers coupled with a Western Carolina victory against Elon Sunday. However, the Lady Catamounts and Phoenix also tied, 0-0, giving Elon the tiebreaker over Wofford via a win in the two teams.
UNCG 2, College of Charleston 1
CHARLESTON, SC ? The UNC Greensboro Spartans defeated College of Charleston, 2-1, to finish the regular season undefeated in the Southern Conference. The Spartans improve to 9-0-1 in conference play and 10-7-2 overall.
College of Charleston (8-8-2, 6-4-0) got on the board first late in the opening stanza. At the 42:04 mark, Brittany Schneider sent a cross to Teryn Schuetz into the penalty area. Schuetz shot the ball past Spartan keeper Katherine Ryan to give the Cougars the one goal advantage going into the break.
UNCG got the equalizer in the 55th minute from senior Emilie Stewart. Stewart received a pass from freshman Jennifer Bronson in the box and sent it past the Cougar keeper for her first goal of the season. The Spartans grabbed the lead in the 67th minute after a Cougar foul allowed for a Spartan free kick. Senior Shannon Donovan took the free kick for UNCG and blasted it into to box right to the head of junior Karla Davis. Davis netted the header for the 2-1 game-winning goal and her second goal of the year.
The Spartan defense reigned supreme in the second half, only allowing the Cougars one shot. UNCG finished the match with a 19-5 shot advantage and an
8-4 corner kick advantage. Ryan recorded three saves in the Spartan victory.
UNCG, which clinched the SoCon regular season title, will now host the first round of the conference tournament on Tuesday at the UNCG Soccer Stadium. The Spartans will either play Wofford or Elon, both of whom are tied for eighth in the league. Kickoff slated for 7 pm.