Western Carolina 2, Georgia Southern 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's soccer (4-7-2, 1-3-1 SoCon) picked up its third shutout of the season, earning a 2-0 win over visiting Georgia Southern (5-7, 2-3 SoCon), for its first Southern Conference victory of the season at the Catamount Soccer complex.
The match was unresolved after the first 45 minutes of play, with a scoreless first half. Sophomore Laura Greb had her first look at the net at the 20:22 mark with the Catamounts best opportunity in the first half. Greb took a shot from the right side five yards out when the goalie was up in the box. It was the first of two shots taken by Greb, and the only shots by Western Carolina in the first half.
Western Carolina took an aggressive turn in the second half. The flurry of shots, after just taking two in the first half, began with a great opportunity by freshman Christine Kaznowski, nine minutes into the half, who took a shot off a corner kick by Grebb.
All of Greb's looks at the goal paid off for her and for the Catamounts just a minute after her attempt off a corner kick. Grebb took a pass from Katie Weigel and pushed a header for the goal from five yards out. It was Grebb's third goal of the season.
The Catamounts picked up an insurance goal 76:35 minutes into the match. Junior Emily Lynn scored off a cross and assist by Kaznowski for her third goal of the season.
Georgia Southern had five shots in the second half, but the majority was early in the half. The best scoring chance for the Eagles came from a shot by Morgan Springer whose shot sailed over the goal.
Senior goalkeeper Caitlin Williams had six saves in the match and picked up her third shutout of the season. Western Carolina ended the match with 13 shots, 11 of them coming in the second half. Greb led WCU with five shots and Kaznowski and Weigel followed with two.
Western Carolina returns to action on Sunday hosting Davidson at 4 p.m. at the Catamount Soccer Complex while Georgia Southern continues its road trip Sunday at Appalachian State 2 p.m.
#21 UNCG 3, The Citadel 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Keeper Kelsey Kearney matched the school record with her 25th career shutout and freshman Kristen Schmidbauer had two goals and an assist as No. 21 UNCG topped The Citadel on Friday, 3-0.
The Spartans continued the best start in school history, moving to 10-1-1 overall on the season and 5-0-0 in the Southern Conference. The Citadel fell to 7-5-1 overall and 3-2-0 in the league.
Kearney, a junior, needed just 50 games to reach the milestone. She now shares the record with Jennifer Stillman, who had 25 from 2002-05.
"Congratulations to Kelsey," UNCG coach Eddie Radwanksi said. "That's really a fantastic achievement in her junior year, to tie the shutout record. I think Kelsey would also comment that it was a byproduct of some very good team defending."
The Durham, N.C., native had to make just two saves on the evening, but both were on dangerous scoring chances for the Bulldogs. Her first save came in the 64th minute, when Vanessa Alponte put a free kick on frame from just outside the 18-yard box. Kearney made the stop but couldn't wrap it up, and Mariana Garcia's follow attempt was wide.
Kearney's second save came in the 84th minute, when Garcia came in for a one-on-one. Kearney was again able to make the stop at the corner of the 6-yard box, keeping the historic shutout - her sixth of the season - intact.
Schmidbauer provided all the offense the Spartans would need in the 32nd minute, heading home a Katie Evans free kick for her fourth goal of the season.
With UNCG up 2-0 in the second half, the Woodbine, Md., native notched her second goal of the night, again on a header. Defender Casey Godwin got the play started in the midfield, playing a long ball into the box. Schmidbauer was there to nod it home, making it a 3-0 affair in the 68th minute and giving Schmidbauer her first career multi-goal game.
"Kristen was very good today," Radwanski said. "She's such a smart soccer player and was able to create some things."
Schmidbauer had a hand in all three goals, as she assisted on senior Jenn Partenheimer's strike in the 60th minute. Schmidbauer got the ball about 20 yards out near the corner of the 18 and played a ball to Partenheimer at the top of the box. Partenheimer put it away top shelf for her career-high fifth goal of the season.
UNCG had a 28-6 advantage in shots on the evening, putting 13 of them on-frame. The Spartans also had 10 corner kicks to the Bulldogs' one.
Kearney's counterpart, Whitney Nave, made 10 saves in her first start of the season.
With the win, UNCG improved to 10-0-0 against The Citadel all-time.
The Spartans return to action Sunday when they host College of Charleston at 1 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium. Admission is free. The Citadel travels to Elon, Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Elon 4, College of Charleston 3 (OT)
ELON, N.C. -- The Elon Phoenix women's soccer team held the lead only once in Friday night's Southern Conference showdown with the visiting College of Cougars, but it was at the right time as the Phoenix earned a 4-3 overtime victory from Rudd Field on Brittany Hallberg's goal in the 96th minute.
"For our team to come from behind three different times against an opponent of that quality is very inspiring as a coach," stated Elon head coach Chris Neal.
The Cougars (6-7-0, 3-2-0 SoCon) nearly took a 1-0 lead just 1:20 into the game when Morgan Benz fired a shot across the goal mouth that was denied by a sprawling Kristen Haney. About 25 minutes later CofC would get on the board with the game's first tally. Benz weaved through three Phoenix defenders and found Hope Atkinson on the right side of the goal for the score at 27:03. It was her third score of the season.
Elon (8-4-1, 3-2-0) got the equalizer less than 10 minutes later when Alanna Winsper blasted a penalty kick into the back of the net after teammate Chelsey Stark was hauled down in the box at the 36:31 mark. Winsper's tally was the fourth of the 2010 campaign for her.
CofC regained its one-goal advantage in the 55th minute when Sarah Schaidle collected a pass from Megan Hilbert and beat Haney for the score. It was the team-leading sixth goal of the year for Schaidle.
The Cougar lead was short-lived as the Phoenix knotted the game at two in the 58th minute of play. Winsper's corner kick sailed into the box where it found the head of Scarlett Fakhar who redirected the ball into the top of the net for her second goal of the season.
Once again, CofC responded. At the 63:41 mark, Atkinson netted her second goal of the night after an Elon defender misplayed a ball on the back line.
With time winding down the Phoenix continued to pressure the Cougar defense and earned a corner kick with just over 2:30 to play in regulation. Again Winsper drilled the ball into the box where it found the head of Claire O'Keeffe. The ball continued along the line of players before #Simi Dhaliwal# headed the ball into the left side of the goal for the tying score. It was the first collegiate goal for Dhaliwal and forced extra time.
Playing its third overtime contest of the season, Elon got off the only two attempts in the period. The second of which was Hallberg's team-leading sixth goal of the season. The tally was set up when Hallberg dribbled into the Cougar defense and quickly passed to the right to Stark. Hallberg continued toward the goal and Stark immediately sent the ball back to Hallberg who beat CofC's Katie Tate low and to the left for the game-winner. Of Hallberg's six goals, three have been game-winning markers.
Haney finished the night with two saves while Tate stopped four shots.
Elon has now won three straight against College of Charleston and gained an important three points in the tightly contested Southern Conference standings.
The Phoenix will play host to The Citadel at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Prior to the game, the squad will honor its senior members. CofC will visit UNC Greensboro at 1 p.m. that same afternoon.
Appalachian State 0, Davidson 0 (2 OT)
BOONE, N.C.- Appalachian State University women's soccer (3-5-4, 0-2-3 SoCon) played into its fourth tie of the season against Davidson (4-6-3, 0-2-3 SoCon) on Homecoming Eve at ASU Soccer Stadium. The match, which ended 0-0 in double overtime, was the Mountaineers' fifth shutout of the season.
The first half of play proved to be a defensive standoff between the two squads. Neither team was able to string together enough shots to get into an offensive rhythm. Davidson's Kelsey Krueger attacked the Mountaineer defense a little over a minute into the match, taking a shot only to have it tallied as a save for senior goalkeeper Caroline Clarke. Following three ASU fouls and an offsides call, Davidson's leading shot taker Allison Drutchas, tried a shot of her own, but it was wide.
With over 30 minutes of play elapsed, Davidson's Rachel Barnett took a shot and it was high. Both team exchanged fouls, giving Appalachian possession of the ball. The Wildcats' stingy defense didn't allow ASU to attempt their first shot of the period until 36:15 when sophomore Hannah Coad made a move to the goal, but the shot was saved by Jessie Baxa. The Apps came right back at Davidson except it was junior Sydney Hill taking the shot and it sailed left with less than eight minutes in the half.
Drutchas started off the second half with a Davidson shot at 51:41, but it resulted in a save for Clarke. After more fouling, freshman Amy Werdine watched her header attempt go high over the back of the goal at the 63:53 mark. Hill, who had three shots during the match, took her second shot of the contest and was wide.
Both squads began scrambling to create shot attempts as time was winding down in regulation. Lauren Swany took Davidson's next shot of the half, but was notched as another Clarke save. Krueger and Swany combined for two more shots, only to have one saved by Clarke and the other by junior Katy Dodd off the rebound, which translated into a team save.
Drutchas came back down at the 74:12 mark and took her next attempt, but Clarke was able to save the shot. With neither team able to net a goal, the match went into overtime.
In the first session of overtime, only Barnett and Callan Elswick managed to get a shot close to the goal, but both were saved by Clarke forcing a second and final overtime. In the final overtime, the Wildcats went right back to Barnett and Elswick looking to get a goal off their feet, but neither was able to get through the Mountaineers' final line of defense.
Clarke finished the match with a season-high nine saves and moved her record to 3-5-2, while Baxa notched the decision for Davidson, moving her record to 4-5-1. The shutout was Clarke's fourth of the season, as well as for Baxa.
While the shots were in favor of Davidson, 13-6, the Mountaineers tallied 10 saves on the night, as Davidson only had two. Appalachian committed six more fouls than the Wildcats, controlling that category, 13-7.
"Today, we were just grateful to return home and have the opportunity to play in front of a very good, loud, exciting crowd," said ASU head coach Sarah Strickland. "We had a lot of former players in the crowd, which was exciting, as well. Our theme for today was 'All for App' and what we told the girls before we went out was that tomorrow is not promised, so put your all into today and to leave it all out on the field. Clarke getting a shutout was great and I thought she was outstanding. The backline played hard in order for her to earn the shutout. We worked hard to stay together and focused. Yet again, we are able to get through another overtime successfully."
"Our seniors really stepped up tonight," added Strickland. "Shannon Healy and Lindsay Jaffe played extremely well. Shannon was outstanding on the frontline tonight. There is a quote that we always say, 'A person does not become whole until they become part of something bigger than themselves. If we play for each other and expect nothing in return, being selfless, we cannot fail.' We really believe the team is bigger than you and I think tonight we showed that."
The Mountaineers return to play on Sunday (Oct. 10) at ASU Soccer Stadium at 2 p.m., taking on the Eagles of Georgia Southern.