College of Charleston 1, Furman 0

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – College of Charleston’s Maryam Buazza found the back of the net with just 1:13 left in regulation to give the Cougars a 1-0 victory over Furman in Southern Conference women’s soccer action on Sunday afternoon at Patriots Point.

The loss snapped Furman’s seven-match winning streak and dropped the Paladins to 8-2-0 overall and 1-1-0 in the SoCon.  The Cougars improved to 3-6-0 overall and 2-0 in league play.

Buazza weaved her way into the right side of the box and unleashed a shot from near the penalty spot that beat Paladin goalkeeper Rose Hull at the 88:47 mark for the only tally of the match.

Furman had threatened to break the deadlock several times in the final half hour of regulation as India Robinson rattled a shot off of the crossbar and Stephanie DeVita forced CofC keeper Eli Sarasota into a pair of saves.

Charleston outshot the Paladins 14-11, including a 6-3 edge in shots on goal, while Furman earned five corner kicks to just three for the Cougars.

Sarasota stopped three shots to earn the victory in goal for CofC. Hull, who suffered her first loss in the Paladin net, finished with five saves.

Furman returns to action on Thursday when it travels to Birmingham, Ala., to face the Samford Bulldogs at 8 p.m. Eastern. College of Charleston is back in action at UNCG on Friday at 7 p.m.

 

Samford 2, Davidson 0

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Samford’s Andrianne Mancino had a goal and an assist to lead the Samford Bulldogs to a 2-0 decision over host Davidson on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Stadium in women’s soccer action.

Davidson (3-5-2, 1-1 SoCon) went 1-1 in its first weekend of Southern Conference action. Samford pushed its unbeaten streak in league games to 12, dating back to last year, as it improved to 5-5 and 2-0 in SoCon play.

Mancino assisted on the Bulldogs’ first goal with a pass into the box to Lindsey Hansen, who headed in the game-winning ball at the 25:20 mark. Mancino added the final goal in the 51st minute.

The ‘Cats nearly tied things up before halftime when Rachael Newmister just missed a chip shot over the goalkeeper’s head that hit off the right post.

Davidson returns to action at Western Carolina on Friday for a 7 p.m. game, while Samford hosts Furman on Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

 

Georgia Southern 5, Chattanooga 0

STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern’s women’s soccer team responded from a loss in the 2012 SoCon opener to beat Chattanooga 5-0 on Sunday afternoon at Eagle Field.

Southern improved to 5-2-3 on the year with its sixth shutout of the season, while Chattanooga fell to 2-5-1 overall and 0-2 in league play.

Despite the Eagles setting up camp in the attacking third early on, Chattanooga recorded the game’s first two shots on goal. Georgia Southern’s attacking pressure paid off in the 25th minute as Nora El-Shami scored for the third time this season. She weaved past defenders outside of the box and took the shot from 22 yards out.

On GSU’s next attack, Emily Hirano found the net for the second time this season in the 27th minute. A throw-in by McKenna Storey found Alex Murphy near the end line at the edge of the 18-yard box. Murphy served the ball across the face of goal, finding the head of Hirano, who delivered the ball into the net for a 2-0 GSU lead.

After the halftime break, Stephanie Gratto scored the third goal of the afternoon for the Eagles in the 61st minute. Sydnie Van Curen passed the ball to Gratto at the penalty spot with her back to goal. She made a turn and took an off-balance shot that scored her third goal of the year.

Six minutes later, Courtney Collins put her name on the scoresheet off a free kick assist from Zoe Van Gorder. The senior defender took a long-distance free kick that was saved by the UTC keeper. The rebound came to Collins and the senior delivered for her third goal of the year.

GSU’s fifth goal came in the 72nd minute from Van Curen. GSU earned a corner kick, which was played in by Carlee Storey. A defensive touch pushed the ball to the top of the box, where Van Curen hit the ball on the volley for her team-leading fifth goal of the year.

The five goals for the Eagles were the most scored since a 6-0 win over The Citadel on Sept. 19, 2007.

GSU goalkeeper Katie Merson was called on to make four saves as she recorded her sixth clean sheet of the season. The Eagle offense posted 31 total shots to Chattanooga’s five.

Georgia Southern is at Appalachian State on Friday at 7 p.m., while Chattanooga hosts Wofford on Thursday at 7 p.m.

 

Western Carolina 1, UNCG 0

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Western Carolina’s women’s soccer team stunned UNCG at home, defeating the Spartans 1-0 Sunday at UNCG Soccer Stadium.

It was just the second time in school history the Catamounts (5-4-1, 1-0-1 Southern Conference) have come away with a win in Greensboro. The last win at UNCG (4-6-1, 1-1 SoCon) was a 1-0 victory on Sept. 27, 2002. The Western Carolina win snapped the Spartans’ three-match winning streak.

Western Carolina had just one shot in the second half, but it was the only shot it needed, as it hit the mark. Senior forward Laura Greb took a pass from freshman Amanda Schwartz and UNCG keeper Jamie Simmons, sending it into the goal from the right corner. It was Greb’s second goal of the season and Schwartz’s second assist.

After a scoreless first half in which both teams had four shots each, it became clear that goals would be at a premium with both teams pressing defensively.

In the first six minutes of the second half, UNCG had three shots, two on goal. Forty-seven seconds into the second half, the Spartans’ Cat Barnekow took a shot that went over the goal. Four minutes later, in a span of two minutes, the Spartans’ Ashley Stokes and Zoe Fishman had shots on goal that were saved by sophomore goalie Jennifer Lauer.

Lauer got her first start of the season in goal after coming into Friday’s game against Elon in the first half and finishing the match. She earned her first win and her first shutout as a Catamount goalie, improving to 1-0-1 on the season. Lauer made six saves on nine shots by UNCG.

Perhaps the biggest save from Lauer came at 87:43 as UNCG was scrambling to tie the match as the clock wound down. Spartan Candice Forbes took a shot, but Lauer was there to make the stop. It would be the last threat by UNCG in the match.

Western Carolina returns home on Friday to host Davidson. Match time is set for 7 p.m. at the Catamount Athletic Complex. UNCG hosts College of Charleston on Friday at 7 p.m.

 

Appalachian State 2, Elon 1 (OT)

ELON, N.C. – Appalachian State’s Samantha Childress scored the golden goal in the 96th minute Sunday at Rudd Field to hand the Elon women’s soccer team its first Southern Conference setback by way of a 2-1 decision.

Elon moved to 2-6-3 (0-1-1 SoCon) on the year, while Appalachian State improved to 4-5 (1-1 SoCon).

Tied at 1-1 heading into overtime following a scoreless second period, Childress broke loose along the left side and landed a strike from about 15 yards away into the back of the net for her second goal of the game and the game-winner. Meggie Graham picked up the assist on the play.

Raychel Diver scored the lone goal for the Phoenix in the seventh minute. Following a header off the crossbar from Shannon Foley, Diver struck a shot from inside the box near the ASU goal for the score to give Elon an early 1-0 advantage.

The Mountaineers tied it a 1-1 in the 28th minute, however, when Childress converted a Merlin Beckwith pass from 20 yards away into the back right corner for the score.

The Phoenix landed four of its six shots on target, while nine of ASU’s 17 shots were on goal. Both squads tallied three corners.

Kate Murphy played the entire match for the Maroon and Gold, totaling seven saves. Jordan Hatton made three stops for the Mountaineers.

Elon is back at Rudd Field on Friday when it hosts The Citadel at 7 p.m. Appalachian State will host Georgia Southern that day at 7 p.m.

 

The Citadel 3, Wofford 1

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Vanessa Aponte had a career day on Washington Light Infantry Field on Sunday as the Bulldogs topped Wofford 3-1 to improve their record to 3-6 overall and 1-1 in the Southern Conference.

Fittingly, the junior captain's school-record breaking 160th career shot resulted in a Bulldog goal that would eventually prove to be the game-winner. The goal was scored by way of a 20-yard direct kick in the 21st minute to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage.

Later in the first half, Aponte added to her historic game when she flicked a pass onto the foot of Mariana Garcia, who finished the play past Wofford goalie Kara Boggs in the 39th minute to put the Bulldogs up 3-0. The assist was Aponte's ninth of her career moving, her into a three-way tie for first place in Citadel history.

Freshman Jannel Johnson connected on the game's first goal in the 15th minute when Anastasia Mesa drilled a corner kick in the box that was tapped by Nicole Levermann onto the foot of Johnson for her second goal of the season.

Before the end of the half, Mary Beth Bleekrode connected on a header shot off a direct kick from Mary Kathryn Macklen to put the Terriers (5-4-0) on the board in the 42nd minute.

An array of shots was fired in the second frame but none was able to connect for either team. Sarah Katchen had another great outing in goal for the Bulldogs, recording eight saves to get the win and improve her record to 3-6 on the season.

Boggs played for the first half for Wofford, making one save and allowing three goals. Kimberly Cohn worked a scoreless second half, making four stops.

The Bulldogs outshot the Terriers 24-16 in the contest. Garcia notched another seven shots to her season total, while Mesa posted her fourth assist of the season and fifth of her career, moving her into a tie for fifth all-time.

The Bulldogs head to North Carolina next weekend for a pair of road games against Elon and UNCG on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Wofford returns to action at Chattanooga on Thursday for a 7 p.m. bout.