Elon 2, Jacksonville State 1 (OT)
CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? For the second time in as many games, Elon freshman Shannon Foley scored the game-winning goal off an Elizabeth Palmer corner kick, this time lifting the Phoenix women’s soccer team a 2-1 overtime victory over the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at the Western Carolina Tournament on Sunday afternoon. Foley netted the golden goal in the 99th minute of action as Elon improved to 4-2-1 on the season. The rookie also scored in the 88th minute of play in Friday night’s win over UNC Asheville. Jacksonville State dropped to 5-4-0 overall.
The Phoenix struck first, scoring mid-way through the first half. At 24:07, Foley served a long pass in the box to junior Brittany Hallberg. Hallberg scored her first goal of the season from five yards out to give Elon the advantage. The assist was Foley’s first of the year ? she leads the team with five total points. The Phoenix defense held strong as rookie keeper Kristen Haney made two saves to halt the Jacksonville attack. Elon held a 7-3 shot advantage after 45 minutes.
Following a back-and-forth start to the second half, the Gamecocks evened the score when Alex Rustad netted her second goal of the season from 15-yards out off an assist from Melanie Rigo at 70:17.
Elon seemed to pick up the pace after Jacksonville State knotted the score. The Phoenix did not allow the Gamecocks to get off another shot in the final period of regulation, outshooting JSU 11-4 in the half.
In overtime, Elon continued to dominate the attack, earning four corner kicks in just over eight minutes. Matching Friday night’s performance, Palmer served a ball in the box and Foley was able to convert in the final minutes of OT.
For the game, Elon controlled the offense, outshooting Jacksonville State 23-8 and holding an 11-4 lead in corner kicks. Haney made six saves, while JSU keeper Ali Koenig corralled 11 shots.
Elon will open Southern Conference play when it hosts the Wofford Terriers on Friday, September 25 at 7 p.m. at Rudd Field.
Samford 1, Winthrop 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The undefeated Samford soccer team earned its fifth-consecutive victory Sunday as the Bulldogs fought to a 1-0 triumph against the Winthrop Lady Eagles. At the rain-soaked Bulldog Field, Samford's Kelly Shaffer scored the game-winning goal during the 38th minute of play.
"I felt like we did a really good job today," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "We possessed the ball well, we knocked it around and we connected passes. I thought we struggled a bit in our attacking third, which has not been an issue for us this year, but it was wet out there today and the ball seemed to skip and skid. That made it a little harder for both teams with the final piece."
With the win, Samford (5-0-1) concluded its nonconference schedule with an undefeated record. The Bulldogs have not allowed a goal this season and recorded their sixth shutout of the 2009 campaign. Sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Whitehead made two saves Sunday en route to her fifth complete-game shutout.
Heading into the weekend, Samford was one of only five teams in the nation that hasn't allowed a goal this season. The Bulldogs were also one of only 20 teams in the nation that have not been defeated.
Winthrop (2-4-1) had its two-match winning streak snapped Sunday.
Heading into the match, the Lady Eagles posted back-to-back victories against Southern Conference members Appalachian State 1-0 and Wofford 2-1. Sunday's match marked Winthrop's sixth-straight road contest and its third-straight meeting with a SoCon opponent. The Lady Eagles finished their arduous road trip with a 2-3-1 record.
Samford scored its game-winning goal late in the first half of play. Shaffer, the Bulldogs' feisty junior from Auburn, Ala., registered her first goal of the 2009 season during the 38th minute.
On the score, Mary Shelton Bryant fed a centering pass from right to left to a slashing Melissa Miller in the box. Miller, Samford's junior midfielder, then turned and found Shaffer near the left flank 12 yards out. Shaffer one-timed the perfectly-placed pass and beat Winthrop's Kelsy Weavil to the bottom left corner of the goal.
The assists were the second of the season for both Bryant and Miller.
Samford outshot Winthrop 10-4 on Sunday and tallied three more corner kicks than the Lady Eagles. The Bulldogs finished the match with four corner kicks and five shots on goal.
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 3 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs begin play in their SoCon schedule on the road against The Citadel Bulldogs. The conference-opening match will be played at the Washington Light Infantry Field in Charleston, S.C.
Chattanooga 4, Austin Peay 3
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga women’s soccer team is off to its best start in school history as it edged Austin Peay on a rainy Sunday afternoon at the North River Soccer Complex to remain undefeated.
The Lady Mocs improve to 5-0-0 overall and Austin Peay falls to 1-7-1.
Austin Peay got the scoring started early with a goal by Kellie Cannon at the 10:07 mark. It was the first goal given up by Chattanooga keeper Taylor Davidson all season. Cannon’s first shot at the goal was blocked by Davidson, but Cannon was able to get the carom and send it into the net to put the Lady Govs up 1-0.
It would be 23 minutes before the Lady Mocs evened the score on a goal by sophomore Donna-Kay Henry, her fifth of the season. Henry took a pass from Kelsey Swann in the box to shoot it past APSU’s keeper Carley Newman with 33:28 gone in the game.
The score would remain tied through the halftime break, but the Lady Mocs would jump out quickly to get the lead on a goal from junior Kelly Downs. Freshman Becca Smith sent a pass from the left side of the box to Downs on the right to put UTC up 2-1 at the 45:59 mark.
Freshman Anna Cusick scored her first collegiate goal 10 minutes later. With 55:53 gone in the game, Smith sent a pass from the left this time to the right and Cusick scored on a diving header into the bottom right of the goal past keeper Mackenzie Ladd.
The eventual game winner game on a break away by freshman Hayley Sloan. Sloan took a pass from Smith at midfield and had just one defender to get past as she pushed forward and beat out the keeper to give the Lady Mocs a 4-1 lead with 59:29 on the clock.
Austin Peay cut the lead in half at the 76:08 mark on an unassisted goal from Samantha Northrup, scoring off a deflection. The Lady Govs would get even closer on a penalty kick taken by Cannon at the 84:47 mark.
Despite the push from Austin Peay, the Lady Mocs would hold on to remain undefeated. Five consecutive wins is Chattanooga’s best start in school history, surpassing the four straight wins to start the 2004 season.
The Lady Mocs will travel to Charleston, S.C., to start Southern Conference play Friday, Sept. 25 against the College of Charleston and remain in the Palmetto State to take on The Citadel on Sunday.
Appalachian State 0, Francis Marion 0
FLORENCE, S.C. - Appalachian State University women's soccer battled to a scoreless draw against Francis Marion, Sunday afternoon in Florence.
The Mountaineers (3-4-1) held possession of the ball for the majority of the second half and despite being outshot 8-7, held a key 7-4 advantage in corner kicks.
Stephanie Balzano gave ASU their first scoring opportunity of the match in the 18th minute when she hit the crossbar from a shot inside the box.
In the 77th minute, Christina Gilboy fired a shot from the top of the box and also hit the crossbar.
With just 30 seconds left in the second overtime, Balzano got off a shot but it was saved by Francis Marion (1-7-1) goalkeeper Casey Durham.
The Mountaineers controlled the ball for most of the overtimes, firing the only two shots in the extra sessions.
Caroline Clarke made four saves in goal for ASU to convert her third shutout of the year while Durham made one save for the Patriots.
The teams combined for 42 fouls, with ASU having 20 and Francis Marion 22. Appalachian was offsides seven times.
Appalachian returns to the Appalachian Soccer Stadium on Friday to host Georgia Southern in the SoCon opener at 7 p.m.
Western Carolina 0, UNC Asheville 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? The Western Carolina women’s soccer team controlled most of the offensive possession against UNC Asheville, but the match concluded with a 0-0 draw in sloppy conditions at the Catamount Athletic Complex on Sunday afternoon.
The Catamounts (3-3-2) outnumbered the Bulldogs (3-3-1) in the shot column, 15-8, but couldn’t find the back of the net due to a rain-drenched field in day two of the Catamount Classic.
“It took us a little while due to the conditions to generate some good opportunities for ourselves because it goes against everything that we have been working on,” said Catamounts coach Tammy DeCesare. “You can’t keep the ball on the floor when there is puddles all over the field.”
The draw gave goalkeeper Caitlin Williams her fourth save of the season and her 18th career shutout. The 18th shutout by Williams ties former WCU standout Mandi Tinsley for the second most shutouts in school history. The junior is just one shy from tying all-time career leader Alesha Row.
The strong-willed Williams deflected seven UNC Asheville shots, including a zinger by Hannah Jeske in the 93rd minute of the first overtime.
There were several golden opportunities for the Cats, but the weather slowed the pace of the strong Catamount offensive attack.
Western Carolina’s Kellie Oberholtzer had a breakaway opportunity at the 35th minute in the first half, but the ball skipped a few inches wide to the left of the net. Defender Jenny Matteson banged the ball off the top of the crossbar in the first overtime period, narrowly missing a Catamount goal.
Matteson and midfielder Shanna Schmoker each led the team with three shots.
The corner kick category loomed heavily in the favor of the Catamounts as WCU held the advantage, 10-3.
Four Catamounts were named to the Catamount Classic All-Tournament team. Williams, Matteson, Schmoker and senior Rachael Shomper all garnered honors. Sunday’s accolades were the second of the season for Williams and Schmoker, after they earned All-tournament distinction at the Hurricane Cup earlier this month.
Western Carolina will begin Southern Conference play next weekend as they host Davidson on Friday evening and Georgia Southern next Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Athletic Complex.
Virginia Tech 3, Davidson 2
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Hokies? Kelly Conheeney?s two goals overshadowed the Davidson women?s soccer team?s valiant second-half comeback attempt led by Suzanne Sittko?s goal and assist as the Wildcats fell just short in a 3-2 non-conference affair at Virginia Tech on Sunday evening at Thompson Field.
Davidson (3-6-0), which came back from a 2-0 deficit on Friday night at Richmond before falling 3-2, nearly erased a 3-0 deficit in second half behind the strong play of Sittko.
The Wildcats kept battling away and finally broke up the shut in the 71st minute behind Sittko?s 17th career goal. Fellow senior Kyri Bye-Nagel stole a pass by the Tech defense, dribbling the ball down the middle where she fed a pass to Sittko on the right side. Sittko raced past her defender into the box and drilled a shot to the far left post for her first score of the year.
Sittko struck again, this time setting up the Wildcats? second goal at the 78:50 mark. After a foul gave the Wildcats a free kick on their side of the field, they worked the ball down to Tech?s territory on the near side where Sophie Newsom fed a great ball into Sittko, just a few feet from the left corner of the 18-yard box. The senior shielded off her defender, gathering in the ball and then passing it back behind to a wide open Rachel Newmister , who chipped a perfectly placed shot to the top shelf over the Virginia Tech goalkeeper from about 25 yards out for her second goal of the season to bring the OCats within one at 3-2.
Davidson continued to push in the last 10 minutes to get a few more opportunities, but Virginia Tech (6-2-0) halted the Wildcats last efforts in holding on for the win.
The Wildcats were looking to carry over their momentum from a year ago when they took a 2-1 season-opening win over the Hokies, but Virginia Tech halted that seven minutes into the game when it struck for the first score in an unconventional way. The Hokies had a throw-in on the far sideline near the goal line, that was sent into the six-yard box by Julian Johnson and untouched as it bounced once before finding the back of the net.
Virginia Tech continued to press the Cat defense, but the backline led by Amanda Flink, Louise Timboe and Newsom along with goalkeeper Jessie Baxa did not back down. The defense played shutout ball for the next 30 minutes, despite VT getting off 10 shots.
The Hokies broke through though, even after a solid save from Baxa in the 37th minute that resulted in a 2-0 Tech lead.
After a long feed on the far side to Conheeney of the Hokies, she gathered in the ball in the box and fired off a shot that Baxa made a diving stable at, coming up with the save. But, the rebound went right back to Conheeney who chipped it in to the near post for her fourth score of the year.
Conheeney added her second goal and the final Hokie score at the 52:31 mark of the game when she got a lead pass from Emily Jukich into the 18-yard box, dribbled past her defender and put a shot over Baxa for a 3-0 advantage.
Baxa finished with five saves between the pipes, while Virginia Tech?s Kristin Carden earned four saves.
Tech held a 19-6 advantage in shots, while the Hokies also got four corners.
Davidson finalizes its five-game road swing next weekend, while also opening up Southern Conference play with contests at Western Carolina, Sept. 25 and Appalachian State, Sept. 27.
North Florida 4, The Citadel 2
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ? The Citadel soccer team completed the UNF Hampton Inn Ponte Vedra Classic with a 4-2 loss to North Florida on Sunday afternoon at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
North Florida opened the match with a goal by Katelin Swift but the Bulldogs quickly responded back. Nine minutes into the game, Miranda Johnson assisted on a goal by Nikki Mares to tie the match, 1-1. Mares crossed over behind the defense and shot over the goalkeeper’s head.
North Florida’s Swift scored again with 29 minutes left on the clock in the first half to surge ahead, 2-1. The Osprey’s tallied another marker to take a 3-1 halftime lead.
Following a scoring chance for the Bulldogs, UNF pushed ahead 4-1. Mares then scored her second goal of the game to cap the scoring, 4-2.
North Florida improved to 3-5-1 while the Bulldogs felll to 3-5-0.
“The last eight non-conference games gave us an opportunity to experience our strengths and weaknesses under pressure,” said head coach Bob Winch. “These experiences have prepared us for the Southern Conference fights.”
Coming up next, the Bulldogs open SoCon play at home with the Samford Bulldogs on Friday, September 25 at 4 p.m. at WLI Field.