Davidson 2, Winthrop 0
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Senior Callan Elswick (Locust Grove, Va.) headed in her first goal of the season off a corner kick and the Davidson Wildcats remained undefeated at home in taking a 2-0 shutout victory over visiting Winthrop in women¹s soccer action on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.
The 'Cats (4-4) run their home mark to 3-0 as they finished up their non-conference schedule. Winthrop remained winless as the Eagles fell to 0-6-1 on the year.
Both of Davidson's goals came in the second half and were off corner kicks.
The first was an own goal as a clear attempt by an Eagle defender hit off one of their own players and found the back of the net.
The second goal came in the 81st minute off a great play from Rachael Newmister (Clover, S.C.). Senior Allison Drutchas (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) lined up for a corner on the far sideline, kicked it to Newmister, who was on the outer part of the six-yard box. The sophomore rose up and headed th ball to the far post, where Elswick timed the pass perfectly and headed it in for the goal.
Goalkeeper Jessie Baxa (Bloomfield, Mich.) finished with three saves in earning her third shutout of the season.
Davidson looks to stay perfect at home when it starts Southern Conference play this coming weekend. The Wildcats will host Wofford on Friday, Sept. 24, and then Furman on Sunday, Sept. 26. Gametimes are set for 7 and 2 p.m.
GAME NOTES: Davidson stays perfect in the all-time series vs. the Eagles, 3-0-1 ... the last time Davidson started 3-0 at home was in 2007 ... Drutchas pushed her assist total to four on the season ... last year the Wildcats were 3-6 vs. non-conference opponents ... all four of the 'Cats wins this year have come the way of the shutout.
UNCG 3, Old Dominion 1
GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG exploded for three second-half goals, including a pair just 49 seconds apart, as the Spartans topped Old Dominion on Sunday, 3-1, to wrap up the nonconference portion of the schedule.
After a scoreless first half, UNCG freshman Kristen Schmidbauer opened the scoring with a blast from 20 yards out at the 58:03 mark. The freshman from Woodbine, Md., scored her first career goal after Old Dominion (2-3-1) failed to fully clear a cross into the box. Schmidbauer collected the ball just outside the top of the box and fired it home to give UNCG (5-1-1) the 1-0 advantage.
The Spartans wasted little time extending their lead, as Cat Barnekow found Lauren Hein with a through ball at the top of the box and Hein slotted the ball into the lower left corner at the 58:52 mark to quickly make it a 2-0 game. The goal was Hein's team-best third of the season and her first game-winner of the year.
ODU cut its deficit in half in the 67th minute. Rachael Carroll lined up for a free kick about 35 yards out, placing a ball perfectly into the box. There, Amber Cook was able to get a head on it, nodding it home for her third goal of the season.
UNCG restored its two-goal lead less than seven minutes later, as Tabitha Padgett sent a cross in from the left side that Jenn Partenheimer corralled near the top of the box and fired home lower right. Partenheimer's second goal of the season came in the 73rd minute.
The Spartans created several scoring opportunities on the day, including a pair of shots that were cleared by ODU defenders on the goal line. In the first half, freshman Morgan Kennedy got a head on Jaimey Etten's corner kick and put it on frame, but a Lady Monarch defender was there to boot it away. In the 73rd minute, Etten had her own shot saved on the line.
Old Dominion had one of its best scoring chances in just the fifth minute, getting a breakaway that looked destined to put UNCG down early. UNCG keeper Kelsey Kearney came out to make a play on the ball, but was carded for a hard foul. The Lady Monarchs were awarded a free kick a few yards outside of the 18-yard box, but Carroll's shot went wide.
Kearney picked up the win, making one save and allowing a goal in 76 minutes of work. Junior Alex Perry saw her first action of the season, making a pair of saves in 14 minutes of action.
Brianna Alvarado took the loss for the Lady Monarchs, surrendering all three goals and making four saves in 78 minutes. Laura Bush also saw her first action in the net for ODU, working a scoreless final 12 minutes.
UNCG held a 14-9 advantage in shots on the afternoon, with Schmidbauer and Padgett taking three each to lead the Spartans. Jocelyn Weidner's three shots led Old Dominion.
The 5-1-1 start is UNCG's best since opening the 1997 season 7-1-0 en route to a school-record 19 wins. The Spartans have lost just one game through their first seven for just the fourth time in school history.
With nonconference play in the books, UNCG will open defense of its four straight Southern Conference regular-season titles on Friday at Chattanooga. Game time is set for 7 p.m. in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Western Carolina 1, High Point 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina soccer (3-4-1) blanked visiting High Point (2-7) 1-0 Sunday at the Catamount Soccer Complex.
The Catamounts picked up the win over the Panthers after playing to a 1-1 tie in double overtime against Francis Marion on Friday. The solid win by WCU came over a High Point team that lost 2-1 to No. 22 Wake Forest on Friday, Sept. 17, and defeated Clemson 4-3 on Sept. 12.
"This was an important weekend for the team, as we head into Southern Conference play next weekend," said Head Coach Chad Miller. "With a draw and a win, this says a lot about our team as they fought through fatigue to put together two solid performances."
Western Carolina's lone goal came 17 minutes into the match, thanks to freshman Kayla Sedgeley. Taking control of the ball 10 yards outside the box, Sedgeley moved the ball to the right of the goal looking for an opening. She lost possession of the ball, but gained control again five yards in front of High Point goalkeeper Jessee May. Sedgeley maneuvered around the goalkeeper and took a shot past May and the ball sailed into the net for the unassisted score. The goal was Sedgeley's first of the season.
"Kayla Sedgeley can go for 90 minutes and she is always working hard on the field," Miller said. "She is always in the mix and I am so happy she finally got her first goal."
Even though High Point took nine shots in the match, none were a real threat to Western Carolina. Senior Catamouunt goalkeeper Caitlin Williams notched four saves, but most were shots from 15 yards out from Panther players.
Western Carolina had a total of six shots in the match but it was the team's solid defensive play was key for the Catamounts. Dating back to the second half, and two overtime periods against Frances Marion, WCU has not allowed an opponent scored in the last 155 minutes.
The Catamounts open Southern Conference play Friday, September 24, hosting The Citadel at 7 p.m.
Georgia Southern 1, Coastal Carolina 0
STATESBORO, Ga. - Sara Oland scored her fourth goal of the season to lead the Georgia Southern Women's Soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Coastal Carolina Sunday, September 19, at Eagle Field.
With the win, the Eagles improved to 3-4-0 on the season, while the Chanticleers fell to 4-5-0.
Oland (Evans, Ga.) scored what proved to be the game winner in the 64th minute to propel the Eagles to the victory. Coastal Carolina goalkeeper Jessica Barton made the initial save on Oland's shot, but the rebound came right back to Oland, who buried it in the top-left corner. Courtney Collins (Mason, Ohio) earned the assist on the goal.
The Eagles had a chance to take the lead just before halftime, but two Georgia Southern shots were blocked on the goal line by Chanticleer defenders, keeping the match scoreless at the break.
Georgia Southern out-shot Coastal Carolina 9-7, putting five on goal. Goalkeepers Katie Merson (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Missy Meyer (Alpharetta, Ga.) teamed up for the shutout. Merson made a save in the first half, and Meyer made a pair of saves after starting the second half.
The Eagles open Southern Conference play in their next match, taking on Wofford on Friday, Sept. 24, at Eagle Field. The match is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
Wofford 9, Converse 0
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The women's soccer team displayed one of the finest examples of offensive production in women's soccer history Sunday afternoon, shutting down Converse College 9-0. The performance ties for first for the most goals scored in a match. The match was highlighted by sophomore midfielder Ellen Ezekiel's hat-trick in addition to the six different Terriers who knocked in goals of their own. The victory gives Wofford a 5-2 record on the season, and drops Converse to 0-6 for the year.
Coach Kiah's team controlled the game for the entire 90 minutes, only allowing the Valkyries one shot throughout the duration of the match. The Terriers were able to post 37 shot attempts, with 27 shots being on frame, giving the squad a 73 percent shots on goal average. Seven different Terrier players scored during on the day, with two of the goals being set up by corner kicks.
Four different Wofford players accounted for assists, giving the team a total of 23 points, setting a new school record for points in a match. The second best points in a match performance was produced by the 2002 squad against the Citadel (22 points).
Katie McChesney started the game in the goal, and only saw one shot on the afternoon. She shares a combined shutout with Kimberly Cohn, who played the entire second half and earns the win at the goalkeeper postion.
In the past two games the Terriers have set a trend of scoring in the first minute of play. Recently in the last game played against UNC Asheville, Emily Bougas scored in the first :58 seconds and today against the Valkyries Anne Phillips started things off with a goal in the first :51 seconds of play. Both scores record as the fastest goals in women's soccer history. Phillips goal was produced from a cross by Nikki Siebert in the right wing. Phillips one-timed the cross near the top of the box to give the Terriers the first goal of the afternoon. The score gave Phillips her third goal of her career.
Rachael Blackburn accounted for the second goal, knocking a ball in from a well-placed corner taken by Erin Stephenson. The goal was scored at the 4:25 mark and gave Blackburn her first goal of the season. The assist gave Stephenson her first points as a Terrier. Blackburn attempted a team-high seven shots against the Valkyries for the match.
In the 20th minute, Maggie McLaughlin posted her first goal of the season as she streamed in a shot from outside the box, unassisted. McLaughlin had a perfect shots on goal average, taking three shots and having all three shots on target.
Coming off the bench, Ezekiel had a monumental day for the Terriers. Her hat-trick ties for second, with eight other Terriers in soccer history as the most goals in a match. It also ties for fourth as the most points scored in a match. Ezekiel's first score gave Wofford the fourth goal of the afternoon. She took a cross form Phillips on the foot, and snuck it past Converse keeper Ashley Mercuri in the 26th minute.
Shaquana West saw her first playing time as Terrier, and took full advantage of the opportunity scoring on a hustle play as she stole the ball from the goal-keeper. Converse keeper Mercuri, was caught off guard by West's attack and gave the ball up to West, who knocked the ball into an open net. Entering half-time the score was 5-0.
Ten minutes into the second half Sydney Reed headed in her second goal of the season, giving the Terriers a 6-0 advantage. The score was set up from a corner kick by Jewel Kawamoto. Ezekiel boasted her second goal of the match after Rachael Blackburn hit a shot that rebounded off the top cross-bar and to a wide-open Ezekiel, who easily pushed the ball in for the score.
Ezekiel marked her final damage in the 81st minute knocking in her third goal, earning the prestigious hat-trick honor. She touched the ball once from a throughball and placed into the right side netting from the left side of the box. The score puts Ezekiel on top of the goals scored category with Emily Bougas. Each player has four goals on the season.
Chelsea Ashworth drove the final nail in after scoring off a cross from Maggie O'Brien. O'brien dribbled down the right lane and touched it to Ashworth, who was checking down from the top of the box. Ashworth one-timed the ball over the out-stretched arms of Mercuri, into the top of the netting. Though it was a tough day for Mercuri in the Converse net, she did tally a phenomenal 18 saves.
The women's soccer program looks to continue their offensive production into conference play Friday, September 24th at 4:00pm. The Terriers will travel to Georgia Southern to take on the Eagles for the first conference game of the season.
Elon 1, VCU 1 (2 OT)
RICHMOND, Va. - The Elon Phoenix battled out a 1-1 tie against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams in non-conference women's soccer action on Sunday afternoon. Elon sophomore keeper Kristen Haney made a career-high eight saves as the Phoenix moved to 5-2-1 on the season heading into Southern Conference action. VCU moved to 4-2-2 overall.
"I am extremely proud of our team and their ability to bounce back to get a great result on the road against a very good VCU team," Elon head coach Chris Neal said. "Kristen did a good job for us in the net, handling crosses well especially in the second half."
In a very physical battle, neither team was able to put together too much offense until late in the first half. Elon saw a Chelsey Stark shot ricochet off the cross bar and a Catherine Brinkman shot sail past the goal. In the 31st minute, the Rams finally managed to get on the board.
Aisha Allen sent a pass forward to Breiana White who slid her first goal of the year into the right corner of the net to give the home team a 1-0 advantage that it held through the end of the first half.
Elon came out of the break aggressive on the offensive side, forcing VCU goalie Megan Lynch to knock down four shots in the early minutes. Finally, Elon's pressure forced a VCU mistake when miscommunication off a header led to an own goal for the Phoenix and a 1-1 tie at 62:12.
The Rams had four shots compared to only one by Elon in the extra sessions, but Haney was on top of her game and helped to preserve the draw for the Phoenix.
Elon begins SoCon play next weekend with a road swing at Samford and Chattanooga. The Phoenix and the Bulldogs will do battle on Friday night at 8 p.m. (EST).
Tennessee 8, Chattanooga 0
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's soccer team fell 8-0 to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville Sunday afternoon at Regal Stadium in Knoxville as the Lady Mocs close out a six game road trip.
"This was the strongest team we've played so far," UTC head coach J.D. Kzyer said. "Their record is like ours and not indicative of their talent. They've lost some very close games like we have."
Both teams started the day with identical 2-5 marks, but it would be the Lady Vols who dominated play scoring four goals in each half. Chattanooga falls to 2-6 overall and will open Southern Conference play Friday evening at Finley Stadium. The Lady Vols improve to 3-5 on the year.
Tennessee controlled the ball throughout much of the game outshooting Chattanooga 43-6 and had goals from five different players with three netting a pair each on the day. Lady Mocs' keeper freshman Taylor Mangrum (Franklin, Tenn.) was challenged early and often. On Tennessee's first goal, Mangrum was able to ward off a shot from a corner kick, but the Lady Vols Kylie Bono picked up the deflection for her first of two goals on the day for what would prove to be the game winner in the 18th minute.
Tennessee was able to use the bar on the second goal after a corner kick as well as Ali Hall netted her first goal of the season at the 30:05 mark to give UTK a 2-0 lead. It would get tougher for Chattanooga when senior Kelly Downs (Hixson, Tenn.) was called for her second yellow card of match resulting in a red card and an immediate ejection from the game in the 32nd minute. Chattanooga would play a man down the remainder of the match.
"We were very even at the beginning of the game," Kyzer said. "We had given up just two goals in the first 31:17. After that we were playing without one of our best players and a man down."
Before the half, the Lady Vols saw goals from Sanna Saarinen and Amy Harrison in just over a minute to give UTK a 4-0 lead heading into the break.
In the second half, Bono and Saarinen would each record a second goal for the Lady Vols and Emily Dowd scored her fourth and fifth goals of the year in the closing minutes to give UTK their final two goals and halt a four-game losing skid.
Chattanooga junior Donna-Kay Henry (Queens Village, N.Y.) was stifled by the Volunteer defense and was able to get off just three shots on the day with one on goal. Freshman Kerbi Towry (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) had one shot in the game while sophomore Lauren Wilson (Columbia, Tenn.) sent two shots toward the net with one on goal.
Mangrum tallied 15 saves on the day while giving up seven goals in 64:29 in goal. Sophomore Sydney Dewberry (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) who has seen all of her action this season on the field, subbed in for Mangrum and grabbed on save while giving up one goal in the final 25:31 of the game.
"We don't expect games like this. It's a shock to us and we don't like it, but we won't let it affect us in a negative way," Kyzer said. "We are 0-0-0 right now with conference starting later this week. This is what we've been talking about all year."
The Lady Mocs return to action Friday, Sept. 24 at Finley Stadium to open Southern Conference action against UNC Greensboro at 7 p.m. Admission is free. Live stats and video will be available at the official website of Chattanooga athletics, www.GoMocs.com.