College of Charleston 3, Charleston Southern 1

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. - The College of Charleston women's soccer team retained bragging rights with a 3-1 victory over crosstown rival Charleston Southern on Friday night at Blackbaud Stadium.

The Cougars (1-2-0) extended their unbeaten streak and possession of the prized Silver Cup in the crosstown rivalry series to 15 consecutive matches. The contest was moved from the CSU Soccer Field to the home of the USL First Division Charleston Battery professional soccer team due to unplayable field conditions at CSU.

Freshman forward Nicole Koretsky opened CofC’s scoring by connecting on a pass through the box courtesy of sophomore forward Sarah Cardamone in the 20th minute. It marked her first career goal for the Cougars.

In the second half, Chelsea Frankeny equalized the match for the Buccaneers (1-2-0) with an unassisted goal brought in from the corner and rolled past the dive by CofC goalkeeper Taylor Avery into the lower left of the net.

Senior midfielder Sarah Schaidle netted the team's second goal of the night off the cross from Cardamone, which put the Cougars up 2-1 in the 56th minute.

With less than five minutes remaining in regulation, Schaidle iced CofC's first win of the 2012 season off a failed clear collected at the top of the box and into the upper left corner unassisted.

Up next, the Cougars will travel for a much-anticipated road contest at top-ranked Florida State on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Seminole Soccer Complex in Tallahassee, Fla.

 

Western Carolina 3, Albany 1

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Redshirt freshman midfielder Kimberly Sullivan scored twice, while senior Laura Greb tallied a goal and an assist as Western Carolina upended the Albany Great Danes, 3-1 under soggy conditions Friday night at the Catamount Athletic Complex.

WCU’s second consecutive victory evened the Catamounts’ seasonal record at 2-2, while Albany dropped its second straight match, falling to 0-2-1 on the young season.

Lightning struck twice inside the opening four minutes of Friday night’s match – and then, it literally struck. Both teams were able to light the scoreboard with tallies within 10 seconds of the other before a weather delay that lasted just under an hour.

WCU got on the board inside the opening three minutes of the match as Sullivan collected a carom in the right corner of the penalty area, settled the ball and uncorked a shot that reached the twine just over the fingertips of Great Dane goalkeeper Alana Brennan.

However, Albany responded off the ensuing kickoff as senior Chelsea DeVerna made a run up the middle of the pitch. She maneuvered through the Catamount defenders where she fired a shot from the top of the box that found its way into the net just under the cross bar to knot the game.

Just after the game-tying goal, the teams were chased from the pitch by a lightning strike from a passing storm cell. Approximately 15 minutes into the delay, the skies opened up and a torrential downpour peppered the field. Play resumed after a 50-minute delay on a soupy playing surface.

Still tied at one apiece, Sullivan struck again in the 17th minute as Greb put a cross through the goal box from the left side that skipped past Brennan. Sullivan was able to one-touch the loose ball into the right corner of the cage to hand the Catamounts 2-1 lead they would enjoy into the halftime break.

After intermission, WCU had a solid scoring chance 15 minutes into the second half stemming from a corner kick. Greb placed the corner to the middle of the box, where Madison Lee settled and put a shot on goal.

Five minutes later, the Catamounts again had a golden scoring opportunity as Markie-Lynn Studnicky delivered a pass to Greb on a rush that sailed just wide right.

The Catamounts kept up the offensive pressure inside the final 20 minutes of play, pressing for an insurance marker. Mackenzie Hallstrom had back-to-back offerings, with the first one thwarted by Brennan with a diving stab, while the rebound was wide off the outside of the cage. Then, around the 15:40 mark, Christine Kaznowski fired a shot that just careened off the left post keeping it a one-goal game.

Albany continued to press for the equalizing goal. With just under five minutes remaining, senior Shayla Bergeron dribbled to the midline at the top of the box and put a shot on the Catamount net. WCU keeper Katie Jacobs made the save on the shot that hovered just off the grass.
WCU found its clinching goal in the 88th minute as Greb notched her first score of the year. Pushing up the middle of the field, Studnicky created an odd-man rush with a pass to her left to a streaking Greb to give the Catamounts a 2-on-1 break. The Robbinsville, N.J., native then dropped a shot into the lower right corner of the goal mouth to provide the two-goal advantage and put the match out of reach.

All told, the Catamounts held a commanding 21-to-6 edge in shots with a 5-to-2 advantage in corner kicks. WCU had five players record three shots apiece while Albany’s Bergeron and Regina Nowicki were both credited with two shots.

Western Carolina returns to action on Friday as it visits former Southern Conference foe, East Tennessee State, in Johnson City, Tenn. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

 

Georgia Southern 1, North Florida 0

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Georgia Southern’s women’s soccer team continued its unbeaten start to the 2012 season with a 1-0 win over North Florida on Friday evening. Sophomore Sydnie Van Curen’s second goal of the season was the difference as the Eagles improved to 3-0-1 on the year.

Van Curen recorded her second goal of the season just past the half-hour mark to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Renee Nance’s cross was deflected to Van Curen beyond the top of the box at 20-yards. She blasted a one-touch shot to the far post and found the back of the net.

Goalkeeper Katie Merson made five saves for the Eagles as she picked up her third clean-sheet victory of the year.

The Eagles continue their two-game road swing on Sunday afternoon with a contest at Jacksonville starting at 1 p.m.

 

Chattanooga 2, Lipscomb 2

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s soccer team tied Lipscomb 2-2 in a nonconference matchup on the Bisons’ home field Friday night.

The Mocs moved to 1-2-1 overall while Lipscomb is now 2-2-2 on the year.

Lipscomb struck first with a score in the second minute from Molly Bray on a cross in front of the net, finding its target in the upper right corner.

The Mocs got off two shots and had two corners over the next 24 minutes before freshman Logan Higgins picked up a loose ball to tie it up 1-1 at the 25:14 mark. The Bisons struck back quickly, retaking the lead less than 20 seconds later on a shot from Baylee Linnell, who laced through the defense for the score.

Chattanooga senior Becca Smith scored the equalizer, heading in a corner kick from freshman Hannah Wyatt to make it 2-2 at the 30:56 mark of the first half.

Neither team could find the goal the remainder of the game, with UTC freshman Lauren Thomas snaring four saves in 110 minutes in goal.

In the first overtime period, the Mocs got off three shots, with both of sophomore Crystal Mackezyk’s saved by Lipscomb’s Zerio. In the final overtime, the Bisons outshot UTC 3-1 with neither team nearing the net.

The match was even on paper, with Chattanooga gaining the advantage on shots by just an 18-15 margin. Each team had six shots on goal with four saves. The Mocs took eight corner kicks compared to the Bisons’ five.

The Mocs will remain on the road, traveling to Clarksville, Tenn., for a Sunday afternoon match at Austin Peay at 3 p.m.

 

Kentucky 2, UNCG 0

LEXINGTON, Ky. – In a close defensive game, UNCG fell just short to host Kentucky, 2-0, Friday night at the UK Soccer Complex. The loss was the second of the season for the Spartans, who fell to 2-2 on the year.

Freshman goalkeeper Jamie Simmons finished the game with four saves to keep the game close for UNCG.

The Wildcats opened the scoring in the 14th minute after Caitlin Landis played a through ball to Cara Ledman, who scored into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0 Kentucky.

Freshman Chesney White had an opportunity just before the half but her shot outside the box went just high.

In the second half, the Spartans tightened up defensively, holding Kentucky to just three shots on goal.

Freshman Mallory Ullrich had UNCG’s best chance of the night in the 75th minute off a free kick, but Wildcat keeper Kayla Price made the stop.

Five minutes later, Simmons stuffed Ashley VanLandingham’s shot to create a corner kick for the Wildcats. After a scramble inside the box, Danielle Krohn crossed a low liner to Natalie Horner, who fired home the second goal for Kentucky.

It was the first time UNCG has given up two goals this year and had to play from behind.

UNCG makes a quick turnaround to play BIG EAST member Louisville on Sunday at noon at the UK Soccer Complex.

 

Auburn 2, Samford 0

AUBURN, Ala. – The Samford University women’s soccer team allowed an early goal and a late score Friday in a hard-fought 2-0 road loss against the Auburn Tigers in an early-season, in-state matchup held at the Auburn Soccer Complex.

With the loss, Samford completed its arduous three-match road swing against Southeastern Conference opponents with an 0-3 record. To open the season, the Bulldogs dropped a 4-0 decision at Tennessee but then looked much better last week in a 2-1 loss at Alabama.

Auburn (3-2) snapped its two-match losing streak Friday and registered its second shutout of the young campaign. The Tigers opened their year with a 1-0 home victory against Georgia State but then suffered back-to-back road setbacks at Pepperdine, 2-1, and UC Irvine, 1-0, a week ago.

Auburn struck first in Friday’s contest as sophomore defender Tori Ball tallied her first goal of the season on a long, drifting shot from 40 yards out. On the score, Ball lifted a high, sailing attempt that started its flight towards the right side of the goal. Once in the air, the ball kept shifting and carrying toward the left end of the goal and eventually found the back of the net.

Ball’s score came during the ninth minute of play and helped Auburn gain the early momentum of the match. Prior to the Tigers’ score, Samford was outshooting Auburn in the match, 2-1, and held a significant portion of the run of play.

At the half, the teams entered their respective locker rooms with the score still favoring Auburn, 1-0. The Tigers rattled off six shots on goal in the opening 45 minutes of play, but Montgomery made a number of key diving saves. The Bulldogs’ sophomore native of Georgetown, Texas, finished the first half with four stops in her first collegiate start.

Samford’s offensive attack was paced by Brittany Hoffman, Joy Grove and Katie Danehy in the first period. Danehy came up from her defensive position to tally two shot attempts in the half, while Hoffman and Grove registered one apiece.

With Auburn clinging to its 1-0 lead late in the second half of play, Samford’s Amanda Abbott came just inches away from scoring the equalizing goal. Immediately following a quick counterattack which also nearly resulted in a Bulldog score, Samford kept the Tigers backed up on their half of the field and abruptly gained possession on the left side of the field.

Samford’s Abbott and Lindsey Hansen were both charging toward the middle of the field, and Abbott received the pass in the middle of the box. She fired an initial shot, which forced Auburn goalkeeper Amy Howard to the ground. Abbott’s second attempt seemed destined to find the back of the net, but Howard pivoted, lunged to her left and somehow stretched her hand directly into the path of the shot to push the ball wide.

Samford finished Friday’s contest with eight shot attempts, as compared to 17 from the Tigers. The Bulldogs turned in their best offensive performance of the season and finished with Danehy, Taule and Abbott at two shot attempts each.

Montgomery made her collegiate debut against Auburn and finished with a match-high seven saves.

Samford will next be in action Sunday at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs play host to the UAB Blazers in a 2012 home-opening contest to be held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.

 

High Point 2, Appalachian State 1

BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University women’s soccer team equalized late in the match but came up one goal short, falling to High Point 2-1 Friday night at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex.

With the loss, the Mountaineers fell to 1-3, as High Point earned its first win of the season, moving to 1-1-2 on the young season. The Panthers outshot App State 12-10. Two shots for the Apps troubled HPU’s goalkeeper, Jesse May.

After a slow-paced opening half, the teams found opportunities in the second half. High Point earned a corner in the 72nd minute as Brooke Lisson sent in the cross near the goal line. Appalachian’s goalkeeper, Amy Kolowsky, could not find the grip on a wet ball and it slipped off her gloves into the net for the match’s first goal.

The Apps responded quickly in the 82nd minute, as senior Meggie Graham fed a corner into the box. After the ball bounced around the box several times, freshman Merlin Beckwith found the ball at her feet and struck a right-footed shot into the net, evening the score.

After a couple of good defensive efforts from the Mountaineers, High Point took a chance as Jenny Butler struck a 30-yard shot and found the top left corner, beating Kolowsky. For Butler, it was her first goal of the season and the game-winner for the Panthers.

The Apps will have to bounce back quickly as they will host Longwood on Sunday at noon.

The women’s team will be the first match of the day on Sunday, as the men’s team will face UNCW at 3 p.m.

 

East Carolina 3, Davidson 0

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Going on the road for the first time this year, the Davidson women’s soccer team did not have the start it had hoped for, dropping a 3-0 decision to a tough East Carolina squad on Friday evening at ECU Soccer Stadium.

Davidson fell to 1-2 on the young campaign, while the Pirates improved to 2-2. The two teams were playing each other for the second year in a row after ECU captured a 2-1 decision last season at Alumni Stadium.

The Pirates got the only goal they would need on the evening off a corner kick four minutes into the start of the game. Hali Oughton took Danielle Romano’s corner kick and found the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage.

Later in the half, ECU’s Stephanie Seagrave tacked on a goal at the 38:32 mark to push the lead out the 2-0. Romano earned her second assist of the game on the play. The Pirates finished off the scoring with an early second-half goal for the final of 3-0.

Davidson had six shots, but wwa only able to put one on goal. Stephanie Piperno and Rachael Newmister had two shots each, with Piperno putting the lone shot on goal.

Sophomore Rachel Locke started between the pipes and closed with a season-high six saves.

The ‘Cats close out their swing to the East Coast side of North Carolina with a 2 p.m. contest against UNCW on Sunday at 2 p.m.

 

NC State 5, The Citadel 0

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Citadel soccer team fell to ACC foe NC State 5-0 in an evening match at Dail Soccer Stadium on Friday. The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 0-3 on the season.

Both teams came out and played tough at the start of the game as Bulldog goalkeeper Sarah Katchen staved off the Wolfpack attack, recording three saves in the first 35 minutes.

It wasn't until the 36th minute that NC State forward Shannon Colligan recorded the game's first goal on a header shot that deflected off the post and into the back of the net.

Just over four minutes later, the Wolfpack (3-2) found the back of the net again as Ariela Schreibeis drilled a penalty kick in to give NC State a 2-0 lead heading into the half.

The NC State attack would prove to be too much for The Citadel defense in the final 45 minutes as the Wolfpack came out firing. Just 10 minutes into the second frame, NC State's Brittany Stanko fired a rocket past Katchen to give her team a 3-0 lead.

The Wolfpack would add two late goals in the 62nd and 72nd minutes to down the Bulldogs 5-0.

NC State outshot The Citadel 19-5 as Katchen would record seven saves in her 90 minutes in goal.

Mariana Garcia recorded just one shot on the day, but it was enough to move her into sole possession of third place in program history with 129 for her career. The junior sits just 10 shots behind teammate Vanessa Aponte and 36 behind The Citadel's all-time shots leader, Kelly Pesterfield.

The Bulldogs will have a week off before opening up a two-game homestand starting Friday when they host Northern Iowa at 4 p.m.