UNC Wilmington 2, Elon 0
WILMINGTON, N.C. ? UNC Wilmington scored once in each half and built a 19-1 advantage in shots en route to a 2-0 women’s soccer victory over Elon in the home opener for the Seahawks Wednesday at the UNCW Soccer Stadium.
The Seahawks improved to 2-1 on the young season as the two teams battled one day earlier than scheduled because of expected inclement weather from Tropical Storm Ernesto. The Phoenix, meanwhile, dipped to 1-2.
Sophomore forward Kelly Renkin staked the Seahawks to a 1-0 lead at 28:16 with her first goal of the season and the fourth tally of her career. The Midlothian, Va., product launched a 20-yard strike over the head of Elon goalie Lizz Johnson with 16:44 left in the opening period.
Junior striker Ashley Church completed the scoring for the Seahawks on an unassisted goal. The junior striker gathered in a loose ball at the top of the penalty area and sent a rocket into the upper left corner of the net at 71:43 to seal the win.
Freshman Jamie Balzarini recorded a shutout in her first collegiate game between the pipes for the Seahawks. Johnson had four saves for the Phoenix.
The Seahawks wrap up a brief two-game homestand on Sunday with a 2 p.m. test against Davidson. The Phoenix visit N.C. State on Sunday at 1 p.m. for their next outing.
Gardner-Webb 3, Furman 1
Boiling Springs, N.C. ? Jessica Lane and Lindsey Gladhill each tallied second half goals as Gardner-Webb downed Furman 3-1 in women’s soccer action Wednesday evening in Boiling Springs, N.C.
Lane laced a free kick into the upper righthand corner at the 56:26 mark to break a 1-1 tie with the eventual game-winning goal. Gladhill received an Angie Harvey pass on a breakaway and chipped a shot over Furman goalkeeper Briana da Mota in the 90th minute to cap the victory for the Bulldogs (3-0).
Gardner-Webb opened the scoring in the 25th minute on Dara Goldstein’s strike off assists from Gladhill and Samantha Cawkell.
At the 35:22 mark, junior Gena Villari notched Furman’s first goal of the season on a 20-yard shot off of a pass from Rachel Fry.
Furman outshot the Bulldogs 22-10, 10-6 edge in shots on goal and a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks. GWU goalkeeper Sarah Wyszynski stopped 11 shots to earn the win while Furman’s da Mota turned away three Gardner-Webb shots.
Furman (0-2) will continue in search of its first win of the season when the Lady Paladins face Mercer in the LQ Cup in Macon, Ga., Friday evening at 7:00.