College of Charleston 1, Winthrop 0
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The College of Charleston women's soccer team pulled out a 1-0 victory over Winthrop at Patriots Point on Sunday afternoon.
CofC improves to 2-1-0 with the win. Winthrop loses their second consecutively and falls to 1-2-0 on the year.
Maryam Buazza (Katy, Texas) found the goal for the Cougars in the fourth minute and CofC held on the rest of the way to ensure the win.
"I'm really happy with how we came out today," said head coach Christian Michner. "The first five minutes are extremely important for us to gain control and we did that well today.
"We created a ton of chances pushing forward but we have got to do a better job of capitalizing on these opportunities."
After the Eagles opened the match with an early push into the Cougars' defensive third, the Cougars pushed back and earned a throw-in deep in the opposite end. McCallie Jones (Charlotte, N.C.), with an acrobatic, flipping-cartwheel throw, forced the ball into the middle of the box where Buazza got to it and headed the ball off the crossbar and into the net.
The Cougars were the more possessive team for the remainder of the opening period and took the 1-0 lead into the locker room after outshooting the Eagles, 9-6, in the first half.
The Cougars stayed on the throttle in the early minutes of the second period and took six shots in the first 15 minutes of the period, requiring Sarah Schippers to make a couple big-time saves to keep Winthrop in the game.
CofC nearly iced the game with roughly 10 minutes remaining when Hope Atkinson (Rumson, N.J.) sprung free with space towards goal. She slipped a late pass in to Allison Brashear (Brunswick, Ga.) who was flanking on the right side. Brashear beat the keeper to the near post but the shot rattled off the intersection of the post and crossbar and harmlessly aside.
The insurance goal would ultimately be unnecessary, however, as the Cougars weathered the Eagles' attacks in the dying minutes to earn the win.
The Cougars outshot Winthrop, 21-12, in the match and put ten shots on goal.
Cricket Wise (Walhalla, S.C.) went the distance between the pipes and made six saves to earn her first shutout of the season. Katie Kerr (Cincinnati, Ohio), Hannah Gmerek (Anderson, S.C.) and Anna Helm (Sunshine, La.) all offered a full 90 minutes for Michner.
The Cougars take to the road next weekend for competition in the University of South Florida Tournament in Tampa, Fla., over the weekend of Friday, Sept. 9. The Cougars challenge Murray State on Friday, Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. and Vanderbilt on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 12 p.m.
"It should be a good weekend for our team," said Michner. "We have two quality opponents in Murray State and Vanderbilt. Anytime you're away from home for an extended period of time you have to work on maintaining your focus the entire time. If we play the caliber of soccer we're capable of then we should get good results down there."
Appalachian State 2, VCU 1
Richmond, Va. - Callie Johnson and Julia Holz each came through with goals, as Appalachian State women's soccer picked up its first win of the season with a 2-1 victory over VCU on Sunday. The Apps improve to 1-2-0 on the year, while VCU slides to 1-2-1.
In the 22nd minute, Meggie Graham injected a corner kick to Holz, whose header from five yards found the back of the net for the Mountaineers' first goal of the season.
The Rams leveled the score less than 10 minutes later, scoring on one of their 14 shots in the game.
In the second half, Sydney Hill fed the ball to Holz, who put it in the back of the net from 12 yards for the go-ahead goal to give the Mountaineers their first victory of the year.
In net, Amy Kolowsky recorded four saves on the day.
On the weekend, ASU's 1-1 performance took second place at the VCU Tournament. Taylor Dunlap, Hill and Amy Werdine were named to the all-tournament team.
The Mountaineers return home to face Clemson on Friday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.
Georgia Southern 1, Coastal Carolina 1 (2 OT)
CONWAY, S.C. - After enduring a 22 hour delay due to Hurricane Irene, Georgia Southern Women's Soccer played Coastal Carolina to a 1-1 draw on Sunday afternoon at the Coastal Carolina Soccer Stadium. Courtney Collins recorded her first goal of the season early in the second half, but a Coastal Carolina goal in the final minute of regulation forced overtime.
In the 57th minute, Courtney Collins (Mason, Ohio) gave the Eagles (0-2-1) their first lead of the season with an unassisted goal. The junior gathered a rebounded shot inside the box and ripped a shot to the right post for the goal.
The Eagles were attack-minded in the match, outshooting the Chanticleers (0-2-1) 13-9. Georgia Southern was caught offsides four times on the day pushing towards goal.
Coastal Carolina laid siege on the Georgia Southern goal in the waning minutes, earning a pair of corner kicks after the 85th minute. Alyssa Clark, however, scored the equalizer with just 24 seconds remaining in the match. Clark's shot was saved by Eagle goalkeeper Katie Merson (Albuquerque, N.M.), but a loose rebound allowed the Chanticleer attacker to score.
Georgia Southern recorded two shots in the first overtime period, but could not register a shot in the final ten minutes to settle for the 1-1 draw. Junior midfielder Christine Watts (Duluth, Ga.) had five shots while Sara Oland (Evans, Ga.) logged four shots on the day.
Georgia Southern travels this weekend for a match at South Carolina State on Friday night. The tilt between the Bulldogs and Eagles starts at 5:30 p.m.
Chattanooga 3, Gardner-Webb 3 (2 OT)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- After 110 minutes of play, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's soccer team battled Gardner-Webb to a 3-3 double-overtime tie on a hot, sunny Sunday afternoon at Finley Stadium.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (1-0-1) got the scoring started with a penalty kick called when Chattanooga's keeper Taylor Mangrum (Franklin, Tenn.) was called for a foul inside the box while going after the ball. Megan Curan sized up the goal and put GWU on top at the 7:17 mark of the game.
Chattanooga (1-1-1) got into the scoring column on a goal from Crystal Mackezyk. The freshman from Columbia, Tenn., took a throw in from sophomore Kelly Crew (Brisbane, Australia) and spun around to her right, firing the shot from the top of the box knotting the match 1-1 in the 26th minute.
With several scoring opportunities around the goal, the Mocs capitalized on a deflection to take the lead. Junior Becca Smith (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) drilled the ball from about five yards out and it ricocheted off the post and deflected off a GWU player. From there, UTC's Laure Wilson (Columbia, Tenn.) blasted the ball into the net and the Mocs led 2-1 in the 28th minute.
"We're hungry and going after goals," UTC Head Coach J.D. Kyzer said. "We created opportunities and took advantage of them. We were able to attack and possess better today."
In the 35th minute, the Bulldogs tied it up when Curan scored her second goal of the directing a header into the goal off a corner kick from Stephanie Benshoof. Both teams headed into the lockerroom at the break with a 2-2 tie.
In the second half, the Bulldogs were called for a foul and Smith lined up on the right side for the free kick. She sent the shot over the line of defenders and past the outstretched hand of the GWU keeper into the upper right corner of the net to put the Mocs up 3-2 in the 46th minute.
That lead would last just 21 minutes before Gardner-Webb leveled the match on a slow roller into the net. Megan Reimer passed the ball across the field to Ele Margelos who was battling a defender as Mangrum charged the ball. The ball, however, was slowly kicked past the keeper and rolled softly into the net.
After ending regulation with a tie, the two teams battled through two overtimes with no score and concluded with a 3-3 tie.
"There are so many things we need to work on," Kyzer said. "So many little, tiny mistakes that, unfortunately cost us goals. We did a lot of really good things today. We possessed the ball better and we capitalized on the opportunities we had."
The Mocs will host Lipscomb this Friday night at GPS while Davenport Field is undergoing some maintenance. The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m. at the GPS soccer field along the Tennessee River. Admission is free. Check GoMocs.com for directions.
No. 25 Memphis 2, Samford 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- In arguably its toughest non-conference matchup of the early 2011 season, the Samford University soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision against the 25th-ranked Memphis Lady Tigers on Sunday at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
"I was really happy with the way we played today," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "Especially after how disappointed I was with how we played in the second half against UAB on Friday. I think that Memphis is a really good team this season and they are definitely worth being ranked No. 25 in the nation, if not higher. We've seen some really good teams this season, so this is something that we can build on and get ready for another tough match Friday at Kennesaw State."
Despite Sunday's loss, Samford (1-3) still leads Memphis (4-0) in the all-time series between the teams, 3-2. The Bulldogs won the first three matches of the rivalry before the Lady Tigers notched a 3-0 victory in Memphis, Tenn., a year ago. Last season, the Lady Tigers entered their annual matchup with Samford as the 18th-ranked team in the nation.
This season, Memphis is currently the 25th-ranked team in the country and has already picked up victories against top-flight teams LSU 3-1, Alabama 1-0 and Samford 2-0.
The Lady Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead Sunday on a header from junior defender Christie Kline. The eventual game-winning goal occurred in the 32nd minute of play and occurred on a Memphis corner kick. On the score, the Lady Tigers' Kaitlyn Atkins drove the corner kick high into the box where Kline timed her jump nicely and headed the ball right of Samford's goalkeeper Alyssa Whitehead.
Whitehead, the Bulldogs' All-Southeastern Conference performer, tallied a match-high six saves Sunday, including a pair of diving stops. In Samford's pair of weekend matches, Whitehead accumulated 13 saves to increase her season total to 25.
"I thought our team played their hearts out today," Yelton said. "I honestly thought that Adrianne Mancino looked a lot better out there today and she's responded in a very positive manner. Our back four did well today and Mary Grabowsky did extremely well as did Katie Danehy and Sabbath McKiernan-Allen. I can't really fault anybody today. I thought they gave us a great effort and if we can get more efforts like this then I think we will win some more games."
Samford rattled off five shots in the second period and nearly scored on a pair of equalizing opportunities.
The Bulldogs' second scoring chance of the second half came from a header from sophomore Trine Taule. Taule's shot on goal occurred during the 71st minute and was perfectly place to the left corner of the net. Memphis' goalkeeper Elis Kuhar-Pitters was unable to stop the shot but one of the Lady Tigers' defenders was perfectly-placed on the back line to make the save.
Kuhar Pitters, who earned her second save of the 2011 season Sunday, finished with one save.
"Their goalkeeper is class and their entire team is class," said Yelton. "I really thought that Trine's header was in for equalizing goal, but then they made that stop on the back line. We forced Memphis to clear a couple off the line and we definitely had our chances, but more power to them. They really played a great game today."
Earlier in the second half, Samford senior Lindsay Matern nearly put the Bulldogs on the board with a laser from 15 yards out. Samford's native of Lakeland, Fla., gathered a loose ball in the center of the box and rattled off a shot that sailed inches over the crossbar.
"I thought the second half was a pretty even contest to be honest with you," Yelton said. "In the first half, they kind of had the run of it. You look at our team and how many freshmen and sophomores that we have playing and I think that these tough games will definitely prepare us for conference play and for making a run to the NCAA Tournament."
Memphis' second goal was scored in the 83rd minute by Natalia Gomez-Junco. The unassisted score was her first of the 2011 campaign.
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 6 p.m., as the Bulldogs travel to Georgia for another key non-conference showdown against the Kennesaw State Owls to be held at the brand-new 8,300-seat KSU Soccer Stadium.
Virginia Tech 5, Elon 0
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Three first-half goals from the Virginia Tech Hokies proved to be too much for the Elon University women's soccer team to overcome on Sunday night, August 28, as the Phoenix fell, 5-0, at Thompson Field.
Elon drops to 1-1-1 on the young season, while Virginia Tech remains unbeaten at 4-0 with the win.
"Despite tonight's outcome, we still had a few positives to take away," said Elon head women's soccer coach Chris Neal. "We created chances early, which was exactly what we wanted. Virginia Tech made an excellent play on a penalty kick that would have given us the lead and confidence early on. Three games into the season we are still finding out where we're at as a team and we will make adjustments moving forward into next weekend."
The Phoenix missed a golden opportunity to take a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute after a yellow card in the box led to a penalty kick for Elon. However, junior captain Jaclyn Wood could not get it past Virginia Tech goalie Anna Romeiser and the match remained scoreless.
Elon allowed its first goal of the season in the in 26th minute after Virginia Tech's Shannon Mayrose bounced a header from a throw-in off the post and in front of Kelly Conheeney for an open shot to give the Hokies a 1-0 lead.
The Hokies struck again in the 34th minute after Mayrose drilled in a volley from six yards out to put the Phoenix behind, 2-0.
Four minutes later, Conheeney netted her second goal of the match after a Mayrose shot ricocheted off the post and landed in front of her on the right side of the goal, paving the way for an easy shot and a 3-0 advantage.
The Phoenix registered two shots in the opening frame, both on goal, but the potent Virginia Tech offense took 10 shots, including seven on-goal.
The Hokies put the Phoenix down 4-0 in the 71st minute after Rachel Beaumont headed in a corner kick from teammate Kelsey Loupee. Virginia Tech took a five-goal lead in the 81st minute after Katie Cramp scored off a volley from Loupee from six yards out.
Virginia Tech outshot Elon 25-3 in the match and held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks. Olivia Mackey and Jennifer McGorty were the only Phoenix players other than Wood to get a shot off in the setback.
Elon returns to action on Friday, September 2, when it makes the trek north to take on UMass at 4 p.m. in Amherst, Mass. The Phoenix wraps up a three-match road trip on Sunday, September 4, when it takes on Harvard at 12 p.m. in Cambridge, Mass.
Florida Gulf Coast 2, Davidson 1
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Florida Gulf Coast's Ashley Ciesielczyk set up both of the Eagles' late second-half goals in sending them to a 2-1 win over Davidson, snapping the Wildcats' school-record 13-game home unbeaten streak on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Alumni Stadium in women's soccer action.
A matchup that featured both teams playing each other for the first time, senior Sophie Newsom (Atlanta, Ga.) chipped in her first career collegiate goal in the 56th minute to give the ‘Cats (1-1-1) a 1-0 advantage.
But, FGCU (3-1) picked up goals in the 64th and 85th minutes to finished the weekend 2-0 as they also defeated Charlotte on Friday night. The game-winner came on a long through ball hit by Ciesielczyk to a streaking Melissa Arnold, who dribbled a couple of times into the box and fired a shot through the feet of goalkeeper Jessie Baxa (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) in goal.
Davidson remains at home for one last weekend as it finishes up its five-game homestand to start the year. The Wildcats will play East Carolina and UNC Wilmington, Sept. 2-4.
UNCG's women's soccer game against East Carolina canceled
GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG's women's soccer game against East Carolina on Sunday has been canceled by heavy rains brought on by Hurricane Irene in the Greenville, N.C., area.
The Spartans (0-2) had been scheduled to face the Pirates (2-1) at the ECU Soccer Stadium at 6 p.m. Sunday.
UNCG will return to action Friday at George Mason. That contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.