Furman 3, North Florida 1
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Furman sophomore Martha Hall recorded her first career hat trick with three second half goals to lead the Paladins to the JU Invitational title with a 3-1 victory over North Florida on Sunday afternoon at the Ashley Sports Complex in Jacksonville, Fla.
With the victory, Furman upped its record to 4-0 on the season and extended its unbeaten streak to nine matches dating back to October of last season. UNF fell to 2-3 on the season with the loss.
After a scoreless first half, Hall opened the scoring at 51:31 receiving a pass from senior Lucy Martin and finishing to the lower righthand corner to put Furman on top. Just before the 64-minute mark, Paige Pickert and Martin combined to set up the Knoxville, Tenn., native for her second goal. Hall completed the hat trick with her sixth goal of the season at 73:23 when she tapped in a shot after a flurry of shots in front of the North Florida goal.
Sophomore Jessica Smith improved to 4-0 in goal for the Paladins while Rachael Howard notched three saves in the loss for the Ospreys. Furman held a 6-2 edge in shots on goal and attempted all four of the corner kicks in the match.
Furman looks to continue its winning ways on Wednesday when it travels to Asheville, N.C., to battle the UNC Asheville Bulldogs at 4 p.m.
UNC Greensboro 1, VCU 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Kristin Player scored off a Jenn Partenheimer pass in the 62nd minute and UNC Greensboro's defense made the lead stand as the Spartans picked up a 1-0 win over Virginia Commonwealth in the final game of the 2009 UNCG Spartan Classic on Sunday.
With UNCG and VCU locked in a scoreless duel, the Spartans (1-3) finally dented the scoreboard with 61:32 gone in the contest. Partenheimer dribbled up the right side and played a cross in to the far side of the 18-yard box, and Player chested it down and poked it past VCU keeper Kate Hudson for what would prove to be the game-winner.
Kelsey Kearney made a pair of first-half saves, and UNCG’s defensive line of Cat Barnekow, Leigh Riordon, Casey Godwin and Katie Evans ? playing without senior captain Lauren Lopez, who received a red card Friday night and was not eligible to play Sunday ? kept the Rams (1-3) at bay.
The Spartans had the run of play in the second half, and had nearly gotten on the board just moments before Player’s goal. In the 60th minute, Godwin played a ball from the midfield that Jen Rincon flicked through the Rams’ defense. Player seemed poised for a one-on-one with the keeper, but a VCU defender slid in at the last minute and poked the ball just wide of the goal.
UNCG had another outstanding opportunity with just over 15 minutes to play, as Hudson used her hands just outside of the box, giving the Spartans a free kick. Player lined and up a drilled a shot from the top of the 18 that sailed just high.
The Rams’ best chance in the second half came in the 73rd minute, when Lauryn Hutchinson found herself wide open with the ball less than 10 yards from the goal. Her quick shot went high, however, keeping the score 1-0.
The first half was virtually even statistically, with UNCG holding a 6-5 advantage in shots and corner kicks even at one apiece.
The Spartans’ best scoring chance in the opening stanza came with just 1:01 left in the frame, when Godwin unleashed a rocket shot from 25 yards out. The shot hit the left post and rebounded clear, however, leaving the game scoreless.
June Hartman had the Rams’ only two shots on frame in the game, forcing a pair of easy saves from Kearney in the first 12 minutes.
Kearney picked up her 13th career shutout and second this season. Hudson took the tough loss, making one stop on the day.
The Spartans return to action next weekend at the Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Va., when they will take on tournament host Virginia Tech at 5:30 p.m. Friday and Duquesne at noon Sunday.
Elon 1, High Point 0
HIGH POINT, N.C. ? Freshman Ceci Jensen knocked home her first career goal to help lead the Elon women’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over the host High Point Panthers in the HPU Invitational at Vert Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The win was Elon’s first of the season as the Phoenix improved to 1-1-1. The Panthers dropped to 0-6 on the year.
“Obviously getting this first win and the monkey off our back will help us relax a bit going forward,” commented Elon head coach Chris Neal. “This was a great team effort. We used a lot of bodies for our second game of the weekend. A lot of people played a part in the win and did their jobs well. Nevertheless, there is a lot to improve on as we prepare to face a great team in Coastal Carolina on Wednesday.”
Elon had several opportunities to take the lead early in the final period, playing most of the minutes in its attacking third of the field. Midway through, Jensen put Elon on the board for the first time this season. The rookie took the ball from midfield and dribbled through the defense to the top of the box, rocketing a strike from 18 yards out to give the Phoenix a 1-0 advantage at the 66:53 mark. The goal proved the ultimate game-winner as the Elon defense did its job for the remainder of the game to secure the shutout.
Defense was also the story of the first half, with neither team able to get much pressure at the net. Elon did most of the attacking, registering nine shots compared to only two by High Point. The Phoenix had three consecutive corner kicks in the final minute of the half, but was unable to capitalize.
For the game, the Phoenix held a 15-10 advantage in shots and a 3-2 edge in corner kicks. HPU goalie Marisa Abbott stopped eight shots on the afternoon while Elon keeper Sydney Little cleared three attempts to earn her second clean slate of the season. Playing its second contest in a three-day span, Elon used 24 players in the victory.
Jensen, freshman defender Claire O’Keefe and sophomore defender Andrea Keller were named to the all-tournament team.
The Phoenix will return home to challenge Coastal Carolina on Wednesday, September 9 at 6 p.m. at Rudd Field.
Davidson 5, Francis Marion 0
DAVIDSON, N.C. - The freshmen duo of Rachael Newmister and Rachel Barnett led a second-half charge by each tallying their first collegiate goals, one of four in the half by Davidson, as the Wildcat women?s soccer team picked up a 5-0 shutout win over visiting Francis Marion on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.
Davidson halted its three-game losing streak, improving to 2-3-0 as it earned its first home win of the season. Francis Marion fell to 0-6-0 on the year.
Newmister added her first career assist as well to pace the Wildcats in points with three, while senior Blakely Low, and the junior tandem of Allison Drutchas and Callan Elswick recorded a goal apiece in the winning effort.
Goalkeeper Loring Ward registered four saves to earn her third career shutout as Davidson recorded its first shutout of the season.
After a tightly played first half, Newmister got the scoring going for the Wildcats as she forced an own goal by the Patriots in the 44th minute. A long through ball was sent down to the right side of the 18-yard box where three Patriot defenders tried to clear it, but the ball was knocked into the air. As the Patriots? Rachel Rubin attempted to head the ball to the keeper, Newmister also rose up, forcing the Patriot defender to misplay the ball, and it went right past the keeper and into the open net for the first score.
The Cats came out much more aggressive in the second half and were rewarded by drilling home the four second-half goals.
The scoring started in the 46th minute when Davidson earned a free kick just outside the 18-yard box on the left side. Drutchas took the kick and sent a low-liner to the far post for her first score of the season.
Ten minutes later, Low pushed the Wildcat lead to 3-0 when she raced past her defender in the center of the field and drove into the box, where she beat the Patriots? keeper for her second goal of the season and 13th of her career.
Barnett tallied her first career goal in impressive fashion, nailing it from long range during the 64th minute. The freshman defender squared up a 30-yard shot on the far side of the field and hit the ball to upper-right corner at the 64:33 mark to give Davidson a commanding 4-0 advantage.
Closing out the afternoon?s scoring for Davidson was Elswick when she got a nicely led pass from Newmister and took a shot to the near post that found the back of the net for the final score of 5-0. A Patriot defender had a chance to stop the pass, but misplayed the feed, allowing Elswick to re-gather the ball and drive into the six-yard box.
Casey Durham of Francis Marion record 10 saves, making a couple of nice stabs during the first half when she helped keep the Patriots locked in a 0-0 tie with the Wildcats.
Davidson finished with a 27-7 advantage in shots, while also holding a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks. Of the OCats? 27 shots, 15 of them were on goal, while the Patriots put four on goal.
Looking to close out their three-game homestand with another win, Davidson turns its attention to cross-county rival Charlotte on Thursday, Sept. 10. Gametime is set for 7 p.m. It?s also Youth Soccer Night and the first 200 children wearing their youth soccer jerseys will receive a giveaway courtesy of U.S. Youth Soccer.
Wofford 2, USC Upstate 0
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Wofford topped USC Upstate, 2-0 Sunday afternoon. The Terriers posted a goal in each period en route to the victory and it was their first victory of the season. Wofford now owns a 1-3-0 record on the season, while the loss drops Upstate's record to 0-5-0.
The match was a defensive battle as the two teams combined for just five shots on goal. Wofford scored in the 22nd minute, when Sydney Reed scored off of a corner kick from teammate Cassie Rex.
In the first half Wofford totaled six shots compared to two for Upstate. Wofford also owned a 6-0 corner kick advantage at the break.
The second half was similar to the first half with Wofford scoring a single goal, as well as owning a two shot advantage (6-4). Upstate and Wofford had identical corner kick totals at two apiece. Wofford's second half goal came off of the foot of Nikki Siebert and she was assisted by Anne Phillips.
Of the six shots for the Spartans, only one found its way toward the goal and it was off of the foot of freshman Athena Lopez. Goalkeeper Sian Jenkins finished the night with two saves while the Terrier keeper, Erika Christensen recorded one save.
There were also two yellow cards issued in the second half, both to the visiting Terriers. Wofford's Erika Bishop and Rachael Blackburn were given yellow cards in the 50th and 74th minutes respectively.
Wofford will return to action this Friday when they play against High Point at home at 7:00pm.
Western Carolina 0, Dayton 0
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The Catamount women's soccer team battled to a draw with No. 23 Dayton on Sunday afternoon in day two of the Hurricane Cup.
Goalkeeper Caitlin Williams recorded a career-high 14 saves in the thrilling contest, earning MVP honors for her outstanding play. Williams earned the MVP of the Hurricane Cup after stopping 17 saves against two nationally-ranked programs in the Top Drawer Collegiate Tournament poll. Shanna Schmoker also earned All-tournament accolades after collecting four shots this weekend.
"Caitlin Williams continues to get better," said WCU coach Tammy DeCesare. "She is becoming the cornerstone of our defense. She raised her level of play again today."
WCU wrapped up a very productive weekend after giving up only one goal this weekend against No. 22 Miami and keeping No. 23 Dayton scoreless .
Coming in to the weekend, Dayton had scored six goals in their first three contests. The Catamounts are now 2-2-1, while the Flyers, who were ranked No. 1 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Mid-Atlantic Regional poll, is 2-0-3.
"It was first time we had to play to back to back top-25 teams," said DeCesare. "The girl's responded really well to the challenge. They show that they can play against this level and they can do it consistently."
The Flyers' best offensive chance in regulation came at the 84-minute mark with a header Kelsey Miller was blocked away.
WCU's offense came firing away in the first extra period when Schmoker flung a shot high above the net. Dayton was unable to record a shot in the first overtime period.
Williams preserved the draw with three consecutive saves in the final overtime period, before a crucial final save at the buzzer ended the contest. The 14 saves by Williams broke a previous career-best of eight, which was set against Clemson in 2007. In five contests this season, Williams holds a stellar 0.77 goals against average.
Senior's Nikki Collins and Bri Cunningham recorded the Catamount's two shots on goal. Cunningham, a forward from Tryon, N.C., fired a shot in the first half that was gloved by Dayton goalkeeper Katherine Boone. Collins then began the WCU attack early in the second half with a shot that again was saved by Boone.
Western Carolina concludes their stringent four-game road trip with a visit to SEC foe Tennessee next Sunday, Sept. 13.
"We have improved every single game in terms of playing and learning what it takes to be at this level," said DeCesare. "We hope we can pull everything we have learned over the last two weeks and put it together for an outstanding performance next Sunday."
College of Charleston 2, Temple 2
HIGH POINT, N.C. - Annie Pease scored two goals, as the College of Charleston women's soccer team battled Temple to a 2-2 tie on Sunday in the finale of the High Point Invitational.
With the tie, Charleston and Temple both move to 2-1-1 on the season. The Cougars return to the pitch on Friday, Sept. 11th when they take on Duquense at the Virginia Tech Tournament at 3 p.m.
"I'm excited about the fact that we're getting opportunities to score goals, but we have to finish," said head coach Kevin Dempsey. "I also thought we did not come out focused, which allowed them to score a quick goal. Overall, it was still a good weekend for us, we just have to be more efficient."
In the first half, Temple jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead, as Niki Conn scored from 20-yards out three minutes into the match. Charleston, however, countered in the 28th minute, as Pease scored her first goal of the day on a free-kick from 40 yards out.
The score remained 1-1 into the half. In the second period, the Cougars took a 2-1 lead in the 53rd minute when Pease scored from six-yards out off on a Morgan Benz corner kick. Temple, however, knotted the score at 2 when Kate Yurovich scored her first goal of the season. The score remained tied after 90 minutes of regulation, forcing the game to go into overtime
In the overtime periods, Charleston had several opportunities to score, as the outshot the Owls 11-2 in the extra frames. However, the Cougars failed to cash in on any of their attempts and the match ended in a tie after 110 minutes of play.
Overall, the Cougars outshot the Owls 26-12 and had an 11-2 advantage in corner kicks. Goalie Katie Tate made two saves in 65 minutes of action, while Temple goalkeeper Gillian Kacsuta made four saves in 110 minutes of action.
For her efforts, Pease was named the Co-Player of the Tournament, sharing the honor with Temple's Meredith Cromwell. Three Cougars were named to the All-Tournament team as well in Hope Atkinson, Maryam Buazza and Brittany Schneider.
Jacksonville 2, Georgia Southern 1 (OT)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Chelsea Kephart scored a late second half goal to force overtime against Jacksonville, but the Eagles (0-5) were unable to complete the comeback and fell to the Dolphins 2-1.
Eva Leeper lobbed a ball over the goalkeeper at the 25 minute mark to give Jacksonville an early lead.
The Eagles kept battling, and Kephart tied the match in the 82nd minute off of a pass from Morgan Springer. Kephart recorded two shots on goal in her fifth start of the season.
Jenny Anderson, Courtney Collins and Sara Oland also recorded shots on goal.
Missy Meyer made her second start in goal and made eight saves in 95 minutes of action. Meyer made five of her eight saves in the second half.
Women's Soccer takes a week off before facing Georgia State in Atlanta, Ga. at 1 p.m.