Furman 2, Georgia Southern 0
STATESBORO, Ga. -- Sophomore Jessica Smith recorded her fourth shutout in the last five matches to lead Furman past Georgia Southern 2-0 in Southern Conference women's soccer action on Friday afternoon at Eagle Field in Statesboro, Ga.
With its fourth win in its last five outings and second straight road victory, Furman improved to 10-4-0 overall and 4-3-0 in SoCon play. The 2-0 victory helped the Paladins reach double digits wins for the 13th consecutive season. Georgia Southern remained winless, falling to 0-14-0 overall and 0-7-0 inside the conference.
Furman produced all the offense it would need during a two minute stretch late in the first half. Georgia Southern was whistled for a foul at 35:20 when Furman's Katya Gokhman was taken down by an Eagle defender in the box. Senior Margaret Antonik converted from the penalty spot to give Furman a 1-0 lead on her first goal of the season. At the 37-minute mark, Laura White delivered a cross to the far post that was deflected into the net for a GSU defender for an own goal to give the Paladins a 2-0 lead.
Smith, who has notched five shutouts this season, stopped three shots to earn the clean sheet for Furman. Lauren Santos took the loss in goal for Georgia Southern. The Eagles outshot Furman 11-6, but the Paladins held a 5-3 advantage in shots on goal.
College of Charleston 1, Western Carolina 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The College of Charleston women's soccer team held onto it's top-ranked status in the Southern Conference with a 1-0 victory over Western Carolina on Friday evening. The game was played in front of the second-largest home attendance in school history.
Senior midfielder Julie Romanik netted her sixth career goal for the Cougars on a penalty kick in the 56th minute of action to buoy Charleston over the Catamounts (5-6-4, 2-3-2 SoCon). Romanik led CofC with two shots on goal while freshmen midfielders Katie Kerr and Alyssa Bearden and junior defender Annie Pease each registered one shot on goal.
College of Charleston (10-4-1, 6-1 SoCon) outshot Western Carolina 6-4 in the first half. Bearden nearly scored in the waning minutes of the first half before Catamount goalkeeper Caitlin Williams stopped the shot to send the teams to the sidelines tied at 0-0.
Romanik attempted to slip a second shot past Williams just over 10 minutes after scoring her first goal of the season. Williams made her third of four saves to keep the Cougars from widening the margin of victory.
Charleston goalkeeper Sarah Wiggers made three saves to earn her fifth shutout of the season.
Elon 5, Chattanooga 1
ELON, N.C. -- The Elon women's soccer team scored early and often as the Phoenix posted a dominating 5-1 victory over the visiting Chattanooga Lady Mocs in Southern Conference soccer action from Rhodes Stadium on Friday night. Senior Molly Calpin netted back-to-back goals in the first 20 minutes of play and rookie Liz Palmer added three assists as Elon moved into second place in the league standings at 10-3-2 overall and 5-1-1 in the conference.
With its 10th victory, the Phoenix ties the school record for wins in a season since moving to the Division I ranks. In 1999, Elon's first year as a Division I program, the Phoenix posted a 10-8-2 overall mark. Five SoCon victories is also the most-ever by an Elon women's soccer team.
Elon nearly got on the board in the sixth minute of action. Chattanooga keeper Taylor Davidson came off her line and Calpin slid a shot to the far post, forcing a UTC defender to save the ball from crossing the goal line.
Minutes later, Elon took its first of eight corner kicks in the contest. Palmer served the ball and it deflected off the post back into the field of play. Calpin was there to clean it up as her shot from four yards out hit the back of the net to give Elon a 1-0 lead at 7:41.
Calpin struck again at 16:54 off a beautifully played ball from junior Brittany Hallberg. Hallberg sent a pass from deep on the right side of the field, finding the foot of Calpin who punched home the goal to pad the Elon advantage. The strike was the forward's team-leading fifth of the season.
Elon continued to pressure the goal, playing almost the entire first half in its offensive third of the field. The Phoenix added to its advantage in the 21st minute when junior Alanna Winsper headed home her first goal off the season off a perfect service from Palmer. Palmer played the ball from the top of the 18-yard box and Winsper knocked it near post for the 3-0 lead.
The Phoenix scored its fourth goal before 30 minutes had passed in the game, scoring off a free kick after a Chattanooga foul. Palmer notched her SoCon-leading 10th assist of the season, sending the service into the box where Scarlett Fakhar was able to get a head on it and put Elon on top 4-0 at 28:54.
The Lady Mocs managed to stave off the Phoenix attack for the remainder of the half, but the damage was already done. Elon held a 13-2 shot advantage after 45 minutes and had taken three corner kicks while allowing none.
Chattanooga picked up a little momentum in the second half, earning several corner kicks to open play. Becca Smith almost put the Lady Mocs on the scoreboard in the 59th minute, heading a ball towards the goal off a corner. Calpin managed to clear the shot before it crossed the goal line.
Soon after, Smith did end Elon's chances at a seventh shutout when the freshman scored her 10th goal of the season. Kelsey Swann served a long ball down the middle of the field. Smith got past her defender and slid a perfect shot to the far post from about 18 yards out at 60:30.
The Lady Mocs would get no closer and the Phoenix netted a final score in the 88th minute. Following a corner kick, several Elon players had attempts at the net as the ball was tapped around in the box. Senior Laura Norwind finally found the back of the goal for the Phoenix on a short shot from about five yards out to make the final margin 5-1.
The shot tally heavily favored the Phoenix at 23-9. Elon keeper Sydney Little stopped four shots in the win.
Samford 1, UNC Greensboro 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Samford scored just 42 seconds into the second half to break a 1-all tie, and the Bulldogs made the lead stand, snapping UNC Greensboro's 22-match unbeaten streak over Southern Conference opponents at UNCG Soccer Stadium with a 2-1 win on Friday.
The Spartans (9-6, 5-2 SoCon) had been 21-0-1 at home against SoCon teams - including three SoCon tournament first-round games - since a 2-1 loss to College of Charleston on Sept. 25, 2005.
With the match tied at 1 through the first 45 minutes of play, Samford (9-1-3, 4-1-2 SoCon) wrested control of the contest with a quick strike just after halftime. Paige Lanter sent a pass to Amber Cress in the midfield and Cress did the rest, making a long run and beating the UNCG defense for what would prove to be the game-winning goal at the 45:42 mark.
Freshman Tabitha Padgett got the scoring started early with her team-leading seventh goal of the season, knocking in the rebound of her own saved shot to put the Bulldogs up 1-0 in the 11th minute. Padgett took a pass from Jenn Partenheimer and put a close-range shot on frame, but Samford keeper Alyssa Whitehead made the stop. Whitehead couldn't wrap up the ball, however, and Padgett pounced on the rebound and put it away for the early advantage.
The Spartans had another solid look just moments later, but a Samford team save prevented UNCG from going up 2-0 in the 13th minute. Senior Kelly Attayek redirected a Jen Bronson attempt in front of the net off a Spartan corner kick, but Bulldog defender Theresa Henry cleared the ball on the line from the far post to keep it a one-score game.
The Bulldogs would pull even in the 21st minute, as Leah Leppert pounded home a Cress pass from 7 yards out. Natalie Fleming got the play started on the right wing, sending a ball in to Cress in the box. UNCG keeper Kelsey Kearney came out to challenge Cress, who slipped the ball over to Leppert on the left side for the easy put-away.
UNCG's best chances in the second half came in the last five minutes. With just over four minutes to go, Nicole Danford put a shot on frame that Whitehead was able to knock down, but not corral. Several Spartans were in on the ensuing scrum in the box, but no one could get a boot on the ball and the Bulldogs were able to clear it.
The Spartans had another excellent scoring opportunity in the 88th minute, but again came up empty. Danford forced another save that Whitehead couldn't contain, and Bronson got off another shot on the rebound. Her shot hit Danford, however, and Samford was able to survive UNCG's late surge.
UNCG managed just one goal despite a commanding 22-6 shot advantage on the evening, with just eight of them on frame. Samford, meanwhile, put four of its six attempts on target. The Spartans' goal was just the fourth allowed by the Bulldogs in 13 matches on the season.
Whitehead, who came into the contest second in the nation in both save percentage and goals against average, made six saves in picking up the win. Kearney made two stops in the losing effort.
Davidson 4, Wofford 0
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Wofford women's soccer fell to Davidson 4-0 Friday night at Alumni Stadium in Davidson, North Carolina. The Wildcats scored three goals in the first half to pull away with the win.
The Terriers move to 3-11-1 overall and 2-4-1 in Southern Conference play while the Wildcats improve to 7-9-0 overall and 4-3-0 in Southern Conference.
The Wildcats had control early in the game with ten shots to Wofford's two. Wofford's Sydney Reed took a shot at 1:57 and Meredith Calcina shot at 23:28 that were both saved by Davidson's Loring Ward. Two team saves by Wofford occurred at 9:46 and 17:42 when Davidson's Amanda Flink and Stephanie Gerow both took headers. At 27:05 a headers by Davidson's Blakely Low was saved by Wofford goalie Katie McChesney only to be rebounded back to Low to score the first goal for the Wildcats. Davidson's Low would score again at 30:05 off of a throw in, shot from the far right corner of the box. Before the end of the first period the Wildcat's third goal of the game, a free kick was made by Allison Drutchas.
At the start of the second period, Wofford's Sydney Reed took another shot at 46:38 that was again saved by Loring Ward. Davidson would take 9 more shots and score the final goal on a cross from Kyri Bye-Nagel to Elizabeth Underwood at 78:43.
Wofford had eight saves to Davidson's three, seven fouls to Davidson's eight, and five corner kicks to Davidson's seven.
Appalachian State 0, The Citadel 0
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University women's soccer outshot The Citadel 17-10 but had to settle for their third 0-0 tie of the season Friday night at the Appalachian Soccer Stadium.
Appalachian is now 5-7-3 overall and 2-3-2 in SoCon play while The Citadel is 5-9-1 overall and 2-4-1 in the Southern Conference.
The Mountaineers came out of the gates firing and had several solid scoring opportunities. Taylor Dunlap had a good look in the 21st minute but her shot was stopped by Whitney Nave. Caroline Lowe and Meggie Graham each had good looks at the goal, but both of their shots were blocked by a Bulldog defender.
The Citadel's best chance in the first half came when Nikkita Persaud sent a high shot from 10 yards out that Caroline Clarke knocked off the cross bar and was cleared away.
In the first overtime, Ruthie Lile sent a cross pass in the middle that Shannon Healy got a foot on that was stopped by Nave. The shot was the only shot for either team in the first extra session.
The second overtime was more eventful, as each team registered two shots. In the second minute of overtime, Lowe launched a corner kick that Jennifer MacNeill headed just wide of the goal. With just 40 seconds left in the match, Nikki Mares got an open look from 10 yards out but Clarke made a great save going to her right to knock the ball away and preserve the shutout.
Persaud led the Bulldogs with four shots while Graham and Sydney Hill had three apiece for Appalachian.
Clarke made seven saves to record her sixth shutout of the season while Nave made eight saves in her third shutout.