September 15
Western Carolina 1, Wofford 0
Cullowhee, N.C. ? On the strength of senior Heather Dittmer’s goal 11:40 into the contest, Western Carolina opened its 2006 Southern Conference portion of the schedule with a 1-0 victory over Wofford, who was playing its first league match as well, Friday night at the Catamount Athletic Complex. The Catamounts improve to 3-4-0, 1-0 in the SoCon, while the Terriers dropped to 1-3-2, 0-1 SoCon.
Not only did Western open league play with a win, but it came versus a team which has given the Catamounts trouble in the past. Prior to tonight, the Terriers owned a 6-3 record all-time versus WCU, including a 1-0 win over the Cats last season in Spartanburg. However, Western improved its record to 3-1 versus Wofford at home and improved to 8-3 in home matches since opening the Catamount Athletic Complex last season.
Western, who dominated play early, took advantage of its first corner kick when Arlan Whittle’s ball made its way through the traffic in front of the net and found an open Dittmer on the left side of the goal’s mouth. Dittmer settled the ball and placed in the lower left corner for her second goal of the season. For Whittle, it marked her second assist on the young season.
Western continued to own possession most of the night, taking 11 shots with Wofford managing just four on the evening. In addition to Dittmer’s four shots, Shanna Schmoker had two shots with four other Catamounts each adding one. The Terriers, who went at a frantic pace late, pushed most of its players up and had more time of possession over the last 10 minutes.
Catamount freshman Kelly Gulledge saw her first action of the season, getting the win and playing all 90 minutes in goal. She was credited with three saves. For the Terriers, Austin Somers tallied three saves as well.
“I was pleased with the result and our first 15 minutes of play,” said second year Western Carolina head coach Tammy DeCesare. “I was a bit disappointed that we let out level of play drop a bit after that. For a freshman goalkeeper seeing her first game action, I thought Kelly (Gulledge) did well in her debut. I am extremely happy to get our first SoCon win, especially over a team that beat us last season. As I said earlier, I am disappointed that we have not learned how to have the drive to dominate a team both on the field and on the scoreboard.”
Western Carolina will return to action this Sunday (Sept. 17) hosting Gardner-Webb in the second of two games as part of Parents’ Weekend. The match is set to begin at 2:00 pm.
Jacksonville 3, Elon 2
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Dolphins women's soccer team rallied from behind twice to down the Elon Phoenix, 3-2, on Friday night in the Third-Annual Kick Out Cancer Soccer Tournament at the Ashley Sports Complex.
With the score tied at 2-2 in the second half, Jacksonville's Jenny Borschel scored on a header from a corner kick by Emilie Howland at the 86-minute mark to give the Dolphins (4-3) the game-winning goal.
The Phoenix (3-4) led initially in the first half after Alisa Petitt scored on a breakaway in the 22nd minute.
Howland tied the game less than nine minutes later on a header from an assist by Michelle Lavine.
In the second half, the Phoenix retook the lead by a 2-1 margin when Katina Boozer scored in front of the net at the 79-minute mark. Katie Persichini was credited with the assist on the score.
Keri Zwikker tied the game less than a minute later by scoring in front of the net on an assist from Angela Hulse.
Michelle Kmiotek tallied six saves between the posts in the Dolphins victory. Elon's Lizz Johnson snagged five saves.
Both teams managed to get off eight shots on goal on the night.
Elon will play Stetson at noon on Sunday in its final match at the Kick Out Cancer Soccer Tournament.
Penn 3, UNC Greensboro 2
GREENSBORO, NC ? The Spartans scored the game’s first two goals in the opening five minutes but couldn’t hold on as they lose to the Pennsylvania Quakers, 3-2, in women’s soccer action at the UNCG Soccer Stadium on Friday night.
UNCG (1-7-0) grabbed the early 1-0 lead in the 4th minute from senior defender Shannon Donovan. After a Penn foul, Donovan connected on the free kick from 20 yards out and sent the ball to the top right corner of the goal for her first goal of the season.
Less than a minute later, senior Jessie Jay scored her first goal of the season on a quick kick in front of the goal. Karla Davis crossed the ball to Deven Beachum who sent the fast pass to Jay who drove the ball past Quaker keeper Cailly Carroll to give the Spartans the 2-0 lead.
However the energy shifted when Penn (3-0-1) scored its first goal of the night at the 22:04 mark. Megan Boys fed the ball to Mara Fintzi who passed the ball to Rachel Fletcher in the six-yard box. Fletcher hit it past UNCG keeper Katherine Ryan to put the Quakers on the board. The Spartans were on the defensive for the remainder of the first half but went into the break with the 2-1 advantage
Penn tied the game up in the 52nd minute off a Tracy Bienenfeld header. A Quaker corner kick was bounced around by several players and until Jessica Fuccello headed the ball up to Bienenfeld for the equalizer. The Quakers would get their game winner off a corner kick in the 72nd minute.
Bienenfeld sent the corner kick right to the box where Fuccello headed the ball in for the 3-2 lead.
“I’m a little disappointed. We were on top of the game at the beginning,”
head coach Eddie Radwanski said, “I felt we could have done a bit better defensively on the goals. Give credit to Penn for coming back. Now we’ll look ahead to Sunday’s game.”
UNCG concludes its weekend homestand against Indiana on Sunday afternoon.
Game time set for 1 pm.
North Florida 2, College of Charleston 1
CHARLESTON, S.C. ? The College of Charleston suffered a heartbreaking loss to North Florida before 217 spectators at Patriot’s Point on Friday. Caitlin Kovacs’ second half goal with one second left in regulation time gave North Florida the victory over CofC, 2-1.
North Florida (5-1-0) scored the first goal of the match through an unassisted goal by Courtney Forson in the 23rd minute of action to give UNF an early 1-0 advantage.
CofC (2-3-0) responded in the 65th minute by drawing a hand ball foul by UNF in the offensive penalty box. The Cougars were awarded a penalty kick and freshman Emily Morgan converted it, making the score 1-1.
The Cougars played an inspired second half and controlled much of the action until Kovacs’ goal in the 89th minute gave UNF the victory.
Sophomore Erin Smith had two saves in the match.
The Cougars had five shots on goal, while UNF had eight.
CofC returns to action on Sept. 19, when they face Francis Marion at Patriot’s Point. The match will begin at 7 p.m.
Georgia State 1, Georgia Southern 0
STATESBORO, Ga. --- Kay Harbrueger’s goal with just over 14 minutes left in the match was the winning margin for Georgia State as the Panthers won in a defensive battle 1-0 over Georgia Southern Friday afternoon at Eagle Field.
The match winner came at the 75:47 mark. Harbrueger first-timed a crossing pass from Nathalie Carter at the top of the six-yard box.
The loss drops Georgia Southern to 2-4-1.
“We fought hard at times, but I think we’re still missing that final piece, that mentality to put the ball away in the back of the net, said Eagle head coach Ashley Hart. (Georgia State head coach) Dom (Martelli) had his team well prepared for us and we played a good Georgia State team. Were still building and learning from our mistakes.”
An uneventful first half saw just seven total shots, six for Georgia State (3-3-1). The Panthers had four corner kicks, but neither side managed a serious scoring chance. The Eagles lone first-half shot, by sophomore Susanne Rogers (Augusta, Ga.), came with 7:19 remaining.
Georgia State held the Eagles to three shots total and two Panther goalkeepers were called upon for one save.
“They were very well organized in the back,” added Hart. “Their back four played well and forced us to take shots from farther out.”
Georgia States Charlotte Vargo and Megan Macdonald combined for the clean sheet. Eagle freshman Lauren Santos (Berwyn, Ill.) made seven saves and allowed one goal.
The Eagles take a day off before returning to host Winthrop Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Wake Forest 3, Davidson 0
WINSTON, SALEM, N.C. ?? The No. 11 Wake Forest Demon Deacons proved to be too much for the Davidson women's soccer team, who had no answer to the offensive pressure put on its defense all evening, falling 3-0 on Friday night at Spry Stadium on the campus of Wake Forest. Davidson saw its two-game win streak come to an end, dropping to 2-3-1 on the season, while Wake Forest moved its win streak to seven games and jumped to 7-1.
Wake Forest set the tempo early, showing why its ranked 11th in the nation in one poll by striking six minutes into the opening stanza. The Demon Deacons worked the ball down to the left corner of Davidson's 18-yard box. There, Elizabeth Remy took over and went one-on-one against the Wildcat defense, moving the ball to the middle of the box before she struck for her fourth goal of the season, just pass the out-stretched arms of junior goalie Bevin English (Charleston, S.C.), at the 5:19 minute mark for a 1-0 Wake Forest advantage.
Amanda Lebo added the second Demon Deacon goal in the first half when she slipped by Davidson's defense in the 31st minute. Taylor Toombs set the goal up by dribbling the ball down the right side of the field where she sent a pass to Lebo, who worked her way past her defender. Lebo took the pass and drove in toward the 6-yard box, where she kicked in the second goal of the contest and the Wildcats trailed 2-0 after the first half.
The Wildcats found themselves back on their heels on defense a majority of the first half, and most of the game, as the Demon Deacons registered 15 first half shots on goal on its way to 22 shots for the game. Davidson's lone shot was by freshman Katharine Laco (Bethesda, Md.).
Megan Upchurch knocked in the final goal for Wake Forest at the 66:53 mark off a header pass from Amy Smerdzinski for the final score of 3-0.
Davidson's best two chances to score came in the second half. About ten minutes into the start of the second stanza, Laco tried to blast one in from the right side, just outside the 18-yard box, after receiving a pass from junior Kristen Koehrn (La Mesa, Calif.) in the middle of the field. Wake's goalie Laura Morse though came over to spear it out of the air for the save.
Then in the 72nd minute, freshman Sophie Funderburk (Wilmington, N.C.) passed to a driving Tracy McCausland (Albuquerque, N.M.) in the middle of the box, but two Wake Forest defenders collapsed on McCausland and knocked the ball away.
English matched her career-high with 10 saves in the contest, while Morse recorded the lone save for the Demon Deacons.
Davidson now returns home for the first time this year and will play its home opener at Alumni Stadium against cross-county rival Charlotte on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m.
Georgia 3, Furman 0
Athens,Ga. -- The University of Georgia soccer team defeated the Furman Lady Paladins by a score of 3-0 Friday evening in women’s soccer action at the Turner Soccer Complex.
The game-winning goal was scored by sophomore forward Ashley Stinson of Acworth, Ga. in the 4th minute of play.
After taking a 1-0 lead into halftime, the Bulldogs netted two more in the second frame, with freshman forward Carrie Patterson (Atlanta, Ga.) scoring both goals. On her first tally, freshman goalkeeper Michelle Betos (Flushing, N.Y.) hit a booming punt that Patterson received with a great first touch. She then carried the ball all the way through the Furman defense from midfield getting herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. She then used her right foot to slide it past the diving Briana da Mota.
Patterson’s second goal was scored on another breakaway, as Randi-Lynn Bruso slotted a long pass hitting her in stride. Identical to her first goal, Patterson got one-on-one with the keeper once again using her right foot to find the right side of the goal.
This is Georgia’s fourth shutout of the season. The Bulldogs held Furman to just three shots on goal in the contest and out shot the Lady Paladins 19-6. Briana da Mota notched three saves for Furman.
Furman returns to action on September 22, when the Lady Paladins host East Carolina in a 7 p.m. contest at Stone Soccer Stadium.
September 16
Francis Marion 2, The Citadel 0
Charleston, S.C. ? Kirby Stenard scored the only two goals of the afternoon to lead Francis Marion past The Citadel, 2-0 in game two of The Citadel adidas Soccer Classic at WLI Field on Saturday. The Patriots clinch the tournament crown while the Bulldogs will face Youngstown State on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. for the third and final match of the Classic.
FMU improves to 4-3 after winning two matches in two days, including a 2-1 victory Youngstown State to open tournament play, while The Citadel falls to 1-6.
A tough, defensive battle ensued in the first period with the Bulldogs pressing on FMU’s side of the pitch for the majority of the half. Stenard found the back of the net for the first score in the 58th minute as she dribbled around a Bulldog defender and knocked it in from close range. Stenard scored again in the 73rd minute as Bulldog keeper Emily Green was pulled out of the box and Stenard chipped it in the open net.
“We played well for about 75 minutes,” said head coach Bob Winch. “You have to give credit to Francis Marion. They played well having two games in two days.”
The Bulldogs lost defender Maggie Bryan, a major force in the backfield, in the first half due to injury. Ana Miranda made her fourth appearance of the season as she replaced the hurt Bryan.
“Losing Maggie in the first half hurt us,” commented Winch. “She is our center back, but the girls that finished played well.
Francis Marion was able to hold off The Citadel offense late in the game to earn the 2-0 victory. FMU enjoyed a 9-3 advantage in shots, while the Patriots were awarded four corner kicks to The Citadel’s two.
Keeper Jacque Sutphin notched her second win in as many days for the Patriots, making one stop. Freshman keeper Emily Green recorded two saves in only her second collegiate start in front of the net.
The Bulldogs and Penguins will wrap-up The Citadel adidas Soccer Classic on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. at WLI Field.