Davidson 3, LSU 0
CHARLESTON, S.C. Coming off one of the program's biggest wins during head coach Greg Ashton's four-year tenure on Friday over Vanderbilt, the Davidson women's soccer team one-upped themselves with a convincing 3-0 win over previously unbeaten LSU on Sunday afternoon on the final day of the College of Charleston Tournament at the CofC soccer complex.
Davidson wrapped up the two-day tournament with a perfect 2-0 mark by taking down two SEC schools in Vanderbilt and LSU. It was the Wildcats' first-ever win against the Tigers as they ran their winning streak to three games, improving to 4-3 on the season. The two wins over Vanderbilt and LSU gave the women's soccer program its third and fourth all-time against SEC schools.
LSU, who defeated CofC (4-0) Friday night and had a school-best tying 10-game unbeaten streak coming into the contest, fell to 6-1-2 overall. The Tigers were one of only 12 teams nationally still unbeaten in 2007 and as of last Tuesday, ranked eighth in the Central Regional poll according to soccerbuzz.com.
“The ladies were just awesome this weekend,” exclaimed head coach Greg Ashton. “To get a win, plus a shutout against a team of this caliber, is tremendous for our team and the women's soccer program. What won us the game today was every one of our players' tireless efforts throughout the whole afternoon.”
After getting shutout in back-to-back games two weeks ago and scoring only two goals through their first four games, the Wildcat offense has been on a roll. They have now netted eight goals in the past three games to push their season total to 10.
That offensive outburst was on display again Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Courtney Hart (Ashland, Mass.) started the scoring in the 30th minute thanks to a long pass from freshman Allison Drutchas (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) off a free kick. Drutchas drove the ball from 40 yards out off the free kick to the far post, where Hart was there to strike it into the top corner of the goal for her first score of the season.
Davidson's defense then turned up the intensity, frustrating LSU all afternoon. The defense earned their second shutout of the season and the 21st for the Wildcats in the past three years.
“Our team defense was the best its been all season,” said Ashton. “We were able to weather the first 15 minutes of LSU attacking at full force, and started to get into our game plan. The team's ability to keep the ball when we won possessions, frustrated them (the Tigers) all afternoon and I was very happy with our efforts.”
The sophomore duo of Lauren Conner (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) and Kyri Bye-Nagel (Hanau, Germany), who have led the Wildcats offensive outburst the past three games with a combined four goals and an assist, helped seal the win in the second half.
Senior Kriten Koehrn (La Mesa, Calif.) earned her second assist of the year when she won a loose ball near the right corner flag on LSU's side of the field, sent a cross into the penalty box to a streaking Conner, who then volleyed the ball to the right side of the goal post at the 73:01 mark for her third score of the season.
Bye-Nagel then flashed her blazing speed just under two minutes later. The sophomore gathered in a ball just across the midfield line and raced past three LSU defenders on her way into the goalie box where she calmly slipped one past Valerie Vogler at the 74:54 mark for the final score and a 3-0 Wildcat win.
LSU held a 9-7 advantage in shots and picked up three corner kicks to Davidson's one.
Davidson will look to continue its hot streak by rolling into league play when it hosts Appalachian State on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
Scoring Summary
31:46 DAV Courtney Hart (Allison Drutchas)
73:01 DAV Lauren Conner (Kristen Koehrn)
74:54 DAV Kyri Bye-Nagel (unassisted)
Furman 4, Charleston Southern 1
Greenville, S.C. -- Four different Lady Paladins found the back of the net as Furman upended Charleston Southern 4-1 in non-conference women’s soccer action Sunday afternoon at Stone Soccer Stadium.
With the win in its non-conference finale, Furman improves to 6-3-0 on the season. The Buccaneers dip to 3-3-0.
"We created chances early, got off to a good start and overcame some rough patches in the middle," said Furman head coach Andrew Burr. "It was good to get another victory heading into conference play this week."
The Southern Conference’s leading scorer Anna Betton opened the scoring in the 17th minute dribbling through the Buccaneer defense and lining a shot past keeper Jena Uvalle to give Furman a 1-0 lead. The goal was Betton’s eighth tally of the season.
Less than four minutes later, Margaret Antonik crossed the ball to Katie Tucker who centered a pass to Sara El-Shami for the goal to up the lead to 2-0 at the break.
Furman stretched the margin to 3-0 in the 70th minute. Antonik and Tucker once again connected and Tucker played a square ball to Rachel Fry who tapped home her third goal of the season to give the Lady Paladins a 3-0 cushion.
Marky Boyce put the Buccaneers on the board in the 71st minute. Krista Ross played a ball back to Jen Vroman following a corner kick and Vroman’s cross was headed home at the far post by Boyce for her third goal of the season.
Furman freshman Graham Marchman capped the scoring at 71:36 playing a give-and-go with Gena Villari and slotting a shot past Uvalle at the near post for the final 4-1 margin.
Claire Richards earned the victory in net stopping four shots while Furman posted a commanding 22-8 edge in shot attempts.
Furman opens Southern Conference play Thursday when it hosts Western Carolina in a 6 p.m. contest at Stone Stadium.
Kennesaw State 1, Elon 0
KENNESAW, Ga. -- Caitlin Dingle's ball to the lower right corner of the goal was all that the Kennesaw State Owls needed to knock off the Elon Phoenix by a 1-0 margin in non-conference women's soccer on Sunday afternoon. The Owls (5-2-0) have won five straight games after starting the season 0-2-0. Elon (2-5-1) dropped its fourth straight contest.
In the 33rd minute Dingle deposited her fourth score of the year from about 15 yards out after Maylee Attin-Johnson's cross from the left side of the pitch.
The first half saw Kennesaw State outshoot Elon by a 17-4 margin with eight Owl shots directed on goal to three Phoenix shots at the keeper.
Overall, Elon's Lizz Johnson recorded 10 saves while her counterpart, Katie Piotrowski, made four stops.
Dingle took 10 of KSU's 25 total shots and six of their 12 shots on frame. No Phoenix player had more than one attempt.
The Phoenix will begin Southern Conference play on Friday, September 28 by paying a visit to College of Charleston. That match will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Clemson 8, Wofford 0
CLEMSON, S.C. -- The No. 20-ranked Clemson Lady Tigers scored three goals in less than four minutes early in the first half en route to a 8-0 triumph Sunday afternoon against Wofford at Riggs Field in Clemson, S.C.
Courtney Foster netted her first of two goals of the game to put the nationally-ranked Lady Tigers on the board at 10:56 following a Nuria Zufia assist. The next three Clemson (7-1) scores were all unassisted, as Julie Bolt at 13:23, Amber Funk at 14:50 and Elizabeth Jobe at 21:53 added marks to the scoreboard.
The Lady Tigers would tack on one more before the half ended as Samantha Fortier received a pass from Judea Davis at 38:25 to send the teams into the half with the hosts holding a 13-4 edge on shots.
Fortier and Lily Boleyn combined for assists on Fraser Gerth's goal at 51:51 to open the second half scoring. Just over five minutes later, at 57:10, Fortier would add her second goal of the game.
Foster capped the scoring with her second score, on a Fortier assist, with 63:04 showing on the clock.
The Terriers were led by a pair of shots by senior Whitney Steelman and freshman Daniella Fatti. Gerth collected a game-high five shots for Clemson.
Freshman Katie McChesney stopped six Lady Tiger shots in goal for Wofford (4-3-1), playing the full 90 minutes. Ashley Phillips gathered one save before giving way to Paula Pritzen for the second half as the pair split time in the cage for Clemson. Pritzen notched three saves in the final 45 minutes.
The Terriers will return to action when they open Southern Conference play at 6 p.m. Thursday against UNC Greensboro at Snyder Field.
High Point 1, Georgia Southern 0
HIGH POINT, N.C. ? The Georgia Southern women’s soccer team dropped a narrow 1-0 decision at High Point, Sunday afternoon (Sep. 23) at Vert Soccer Stadium.
Georgia Southern falls to 1-6-0 overall in its first-ever meeting with the Panthers, while High Point improves to 3-3-2 on the season.
The Panthers lone goal came in the 32nd minute after the ball traveled from a Megan Fielden throw in to a Laura Eldridge header-pass, then onto Beckie Lesh who, just six yards out, directed a header-shot into the net.
The Eagles produced four shots in the first half, including a pair on goal. In the 22nd minute, Susanne Rogers (Augusta, Ga.) fired a shot, but the ball was stopped by Marisa Abbott. Michelle Berard (Kennesaw, Ga.) made the second shot on goal in the 34th minute, but Abbott was there to make the save.
In second-half action, the Panthers continued to push the ball forward, firing off five more shots. The Eagles were only able to produce one shot in the second stanza. In the 75th minute, GSU’s Audrey Brown (Fort Worth, Texas) fired a shot, but it was stopped by HPU’s Abbott, and the Panthers held on for the non-conference victory.
The Panthers led the Eagles 9-5 in the shots category, and 6-2 in corner kicks.
Sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Santos (Berwyn, Ill.) started in goal and made five saves in the full 90 minutes in front of the cage.
Georgia Southern will next travel to Rock Hill, S.C. to take on Winthrop, Friday, Sep. 28 at 7:30 p.m. High Point will next take on Wofford, Sep. 30, in Spartanburg, S.C.
Charlotte 2, Western Carolina 0
Charlotte, N.C. - The Western Carolina women's soccer team, done in by a sloppy first half of play, fell to the Charlotte Lady 49ers 2-0 at Transamerica Field Sunday afternoon. Both Charlotte (5-3-0) goals were scored in the first frame.
The Lady 49ers opened the scoring in the 16th minute of play when forward Whitney Weinraub headed a shot in from the left side, just past the outstretched hand of Western goalkeeper Caitlin Williams, for the game's first goal. With nine minutes remaining in the half, Charlotte forward Ashley Rex scored her first goal of the season, to give the 49ers the winning margin.
Western Carolina (5-4-0) could not find any offense in the first half, which was characterized by a level of play that did not please Coach Tammy DeCesare. As a result, in the second half, the Catamounts came out with a revamped lineup in hopes of finding a spark, which Coach DeCesare said is what happened.
"We played some players that haven't gotten a chance to play," she said. "Frankly, those players should have been playing in the first half. We've got a lot of talent on this team, and when we went to the bench, the responded unbelievably today."
The pace of the game was mired in a back and forth struggle between the teams that kept much of the action in the middle part of the field. Aside from the two early goals, neither side was able to break through the last line of defense and give the goalkeepers much of a challenge. The defensive backfield for both teams held their own more than admirably, and it showed, with no goals being scored and only 8 shots taken between the two teams.
Once again, a bright spot for the Catamounts was their ability to shut down the opposition's offense in the second half. They did not allow a goal in the last 45 minutes for the second straight game, and sixth time in the nine games this season. Coach attributes this to the team's ability to overpower the other side with their fitness and stamina.
"I think they realize that they are so much more fit than the opponents we play," she said. "They know that when push comes to shove, and the game wanes on, and fatigue sets in, and fatigue leads to break downs, they know they'll always be the ones on top."
The Catamounts will wrap up their six game road trip, and open Southern Conference play Thursday when they travel to Greenville, S.C. to take on the Lady Paladins of Furman University. They will return to the friendly confines of the Catamount Athletic Complex the following Sunday when UNC Greensboro comes to town. Game time for the UNCG game is set for 2:00 p.m.
UNC Asheville 6, Chattanooga 1
ASHEVILLE, N.C. ? UNC Asheville put up five second half goals en route to a 6-1 win over the Lady Mocs Sunday afternoon at Greenwood Field.
The Bulldogs (2-6-0) led 1-0 at halftime thanks to a goal from Robyn Busha in the 15th minute but scored three goals in a 10-minute span in the first part of the second half to explode to a 4-0 lead.
Chattanooga (0-5-1) was able to get on the board in the 65th minute on a goal from Chelesea Hurst. However, Asheville countered with two more goals to seal the win and end a six-game losing streak.
Busha picked up her first goal at the 15:34 mark. Joy Haynes shot from 15 yards out bounced off the cross bar right to Busha. The junior forward tucked the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 Bulldog lead.
The goals came quickly early in the second half. Meagan Bradham hit a blast from 20 yards for a 2-0 lead at the 46:55 mark.
Ten minutes later, Haynes sent a pass to freshman Katy Beeler who knocked the ball into the back of the net for a 3-0 Asheville margin. One minute later, the Bulldogs tallied again as Lauren Turnburke hit a blast from 25 yards out for a 4-0 Asheville advantage.
The Lady Mocs got on the board at the 64:37 mark when Hurst made a nice move and hit a shot from 15 yards out to cut the lead to 4-1.
Haynes picked up her fourth goal of the season a minute after the UTC goal when she scored off a feed from Sara Marie Holland. Busha added her second goal of the game at 81:37 off an assist from Dana Sroka.
Chattanooga will open Southern Conference play next Sunday, Sept. 30 in a 2 p.m. match at Georgia Southern.
Vanderbilt 3, College of Charleston 0
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Megan Forrester, Amy Wilcox and Molly Kinsella scored first half goals leading Vanderbilt to a 3-0 win over the College of Charleston women's soccer team in the finale of the 2007 College of Charleston Tournament at Patriots Point Field on Sunday.
With the win, Vanderbilt improved to 3-4-1. Charleston, which is 2-2 at home, fell to 3-4-0.
Both teams put up strong defensive efforts in the first half. Vandy held a narrow 4-2 shot advantage and three goals at the end of the first 45 minutes. Neither goalkeeper recorded any saves for the half.
The Commodores opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when Megan Forrester tapped a pass from Amy Wilcox into the left corner of the net from eight yards out.
Early in the first half, CofC defender Alanna Jordan took a free kick after a push by Vandy’s Molly Kinsella. Megan Manthey attempted to settle it but sent the ball just wide of the goal.
Midfielder, Katie Browne battled for possesion with Vandy midfielder Meredith Kohn throughout the game. Browne dribbled the ball into the goal box only to be met by the Commodores’ defense.
Vanderbilt’s second goal came when Kinsella had a breakaway and dribble down the center of the field to find the back of the Cougars' goal (35:10).
Vandy midfielder Amy Wilcox scored the final goal of the game in the 45th minute off a double assist by Taylor Ryer and Megan Kinsella.
The Cougars continue their home stand Tues, Sept. 25, when they play host to Coastal Carolina at 7:30 at Patriots Point Field.