Samford 1, Toledo 0 (2OT)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Samford’s Kaley Blanton scored in the eighth minute of double overtime Friday to propel the Bulldogs’ soccer team to a thrilling 1-0 victory over the Toledo Rockets in the opening match of the 2012 Courtyard by Marriott Louisville Airport Cardinal Classic being hosted by the University of Louisville.

Blanton’s golden goal was scored at exactly 7:03 in the double-overtime period and lifted Samford (2-3) to its second straight victory. On Sunday, the Bulldogs earned a 3-1 home triumph against crosstown rival UAB to begin their winning streak.

On Blanton’s game-winning score, Samford’s senior forward from Mandeville, La., sprinted quickly down the right side of the field. Using her blazing speed, Blanton ran past a pair of Toledo defenders and gathered a pass from junior Jordan Johnson. She then shifted toward the middle of the field and rifled off a shot that beat the Rockets’ goalkeeper just inside the post.

Blanton’s goal was her first of the season, while Johnson’s assist was her second in as many matches.

Samford true freshman goalkeeper Jessica Perry tallied her first career shutout Friday and finished the match with three key saves. The Bulldogs’ highly touted native of Webster Groves, Mo., made her third start of the season.

With Friday’s loss, Toledo (2-4) suffered its second one-goal loss of the season. On Aug. 19, the Rockets dropped a 2-1 home decision versus Belmont.

Toledo finished the match with 12 shot attempts, while the Bulldogs registered eight. Samford out-tallied the Rockets in corner kicks, 6-3, and were paced offensively by Blanton’s two shot attempts. The Bulldogs’ McKenzie Thomas, Brittany Hoffman, Joy Grove, Trine Taule, Lindsey Hanson and Johnson also rattled off shots against Toledo.

The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 11 a.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs square off against the Kentucky Wildcats in another key nonconference matchup. Kentucky will mark Samford’s fourth Southeastern Conference opponent this season after also facing Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn to open the 2012 campaign.

 

Chattanooga 1, Gardner-Webb 0

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Sophomore Crystal Mackezyk scored a goal in the 13th minute Friday evening against Gardner-Webb to give the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga a 1-0 win over the Bulldogs. Chattanooga moved to 2-3-1 and GWU remained winless at 0-4.

At the 12:25 mark of the game, freshman Hannah Wyatt launched a corner kick into the box that was picked up by senior Lauren Wilson. However, her shot toward the goal was blocked. In the scuffle, Wyatt managed to get the ball to Mackezyk, who got it past the Bulldog defense and keeper for what would prove to be the game winner.

Gardner-Webb outshot the Mocs 13-9 with UTC recording five shots on goal to the Bulldogs’ seven. Freshman keeper Lauren Thomas came away with seven, a career high for the rookie.

The Mocs return to action on Sept. 21 at Davidson to open Southern Conference play. The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m. on the Wildcats’ campus.

 

Davidson 1, Clemson 1 (2OT)

DAVIDSON, N.C. – With a minute and 15 seconds left in regulation, Rachael Newmister knocked in the tying goal off of a corner kick, and Davidson held ACC foe Clemson scoreless in the two extra periods on its way to a 1-1 draw with the Tigers on Friday evening in women’s soccer action at Alumni Stadium.

The ‘Cats (1-3-1) earned a corner kick with around 1:35 left and quickly set up. Rachel Stelter took the set play, sending a nicely placed ball to the back end of the six-yard box, where Newmister gathered it in and kicked it near post to tie the game at 1-all. It was Newmister’s first score of the season and Stelter’s first assist.

Clemson (5-1-1) scored the first goal of the game at the 51:40 mark off of its own corner kick. Emily Beaumont knocked in her second goal of the season off assists from Maddy Elder and Savannah Coiner.

Rachel Locke earned the tie with six saves, while Clemson’s Hunter Rittgers finished with five.

The Wildcats close the weekend out with a 2 p.m. contest against North Florida on Sunday. It will be the first matchup between the two schools.

 

Troy 2, Elon 1 (2OT)

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Troy’s Cecilia Thorngren scored the golden goal in the 110th minute Friday night to hand the Elon women’s soccer team a heartbreaking 2-1 setback in the opening game of the UNCW Courtyard Marriott Wilmington Invitational.

After falling behind early in the first period, Elon battled back late in the second half, as sophomore Simi Dhaliwal connected on her first goal of the season to make it a 1-1 match in the 75th minute.

The Phoenix had scoring opportunities against Troy in the first overtime, as a Kim Gardner shot off of a Catherine Brinkman corner in the 100th minute was saved by Troy goalie Maddie Winter to keep the game locked at 1-1.

Gardner nearly connected on the golden goal again in the 103rd minute off of another Brinkman corner, but the Trojans blocked the shot to keep the Phoenix at bay.

With 55 seconds remaining in the second overtime, Thorngren connected on a shot from the left side of the box into the back right corner of the net for the golden goal, giving Troy the 2-1 win.

Thorngren also assisted on Troy’s first goal of the match in the seventh minute.

Both teams ended the match with 12 shots. Elon put six of its shots on goal, while Troy placed four shots on target. The Trojans ended the match with a slight 5-4 edge in corners.

The Phoenix returns to action on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. against Campbell.

 

NC State 3, Appalachian State 1

RALEIGH, N.C. – Appalachian State University’s women’s soccer team was unable to keep up with NC State as the Wolfpack scored two goals in the second half to defeat the Mountaineers 3-1 Friday night at Dail Soccer Field.

With the loss, Appalachian dropped the first-ever meeting between the teams and falls to 2-4 overall.  NC State extended its five-match winning streak and improved to 5-2 on the year.

Freshman goalkeeper Megan Roberson was busy all match, stopping seven shots, including a highlight-reel save to open the match in the 11th minute. Roberson’s dive to her right stopped a Cheyenne Spade shot that would have hit the top corner for the Wolfpack’s first goal.

NC State eventually got on the scoreboard in the in 34th minute as a Michelle Oestreich shot bounced off the crossbar and fell to the foot of Rachel Harris. Harris beat Roberson for her second goal of the season.

The Apps stormed back quickly in the 37th minute when freshman midfielder Kate Ward forced a turnover in the NC State box. Ward settled the ball and her shot beat NCSU goalkeeper Victoria Hopkins to even the match. For Ward, it was her second goal in just her second collegiate match of her career.

The Mountaineers fired seven shots to close the half, one behind NCSU’s total of eight.

After four consecutive saves by Roberson and a lot of pressure from the Wolfpack attackers to open the second half, NC State found a seam past the App State backline as Jennie Krauser dribbled past Roberson and scored in the 72nd minute to regain the Wolfpack lead.

Krauser created space against the Mountaineer defense once again in the 88th minute, flicking a towering lob over the head of Roberson, sealing the victory for the Wolfpack. Krauser’s insurance goal was her third of the season.

The Apps will remain on the road when they travel to UNC Asheville on Friday, Sept. 14. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m.

 

East Tennessee State 3, Western Carolina 2

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – East Tennessee State’s Ramey Kerns notched a hat trick and Western Carolina’s women’s soccer team had its two-match winning streak snapped with a 3-2 loss to ETSU on Friday at Summers-Taylor Stadium.

The Lady Bucs (5-1) were coming off a smarting 7-1 loss at Middle Tennessee, while the Catamounts (2-3) had picked up a 2-1 win at Winthrop and a 3-1 victory in its home opener against Albany.

After almost 30 minutes of aggressive play, offensively and defensively, by Western Carolina, it paid off for the Catamounts at the 30:54 mark. Freshman forward Markie-Lynn Studnicky took a cross from classmate Kelly Pannell, who had just checked into the game, to score the first goal of the contest into the left side of the goal. It was Studnicky’s second goal of the season.

For the second time in as many matches, Western Carolina barely had time to enjoy its 1-0 lead over ETSU before the Lady Bucs tied the contest. Kerns scored the first of her two first-half goals when she took a cross from the right side by Morgan Thomas and sent it sailing into the top of the net at 31:54.

Kerns struck again barely four minutes later to give ETSU the 2-1 lead. Kerns scored her seventh goal of the season scoring from six yards out off an assist by Sarah Zadrazil.

Western Carolina had a chance to tie the match on a corner kick at the 37:13 mark, but the shot by freshman Amanda Schwartz was high, sailing over the goal.

Sophomore midfielder McKenzie Hallstrom gave the Catamounts their first shot attempt in the second half in the 59th minute. However, the attempt equated to a save by ETSU goalie Kara Krajetna. It was the Catamounts’ seventh shot attempt of the game.

ETSU looked to pad its lead at the 71:52 mark when it drew a free kick off of a foul by Western Carolina. The Lady Bucs’ Ellis Parsons took the pass and had a great look at the goal, but the Catamounts got a team save when they directed the ball away from the goal.

About two minutes later, Madison Lee got a great look as two ETSU defenders lost her around the goal. She just missed getting a foot on the ball, giving goalie Krajetna a chance to fall on the ball.

Kerns completed her hat-trick at the 75:43 mark off of a penalty kick. Western Carolina was whistled for a foul just inside the box, opening up the opportunity for ETSU to add the insurance goal. Kerns scored to the left side past a diving Catamount goalie Katie Jacobs.

Western Carolina pulled within one goal, making the PK goal even more costly, when freshman Amanda Schwartz scored at the 78:17 mark. Schwartz scored the unassisted goal by taking the ball straight into the box and over the head of the Lady Bucs’ goalie. It was Schwartz first goal of the season.

The Catamounts had a nice scoring chance to tie the game with two minutes left in the game. Madison Lee took a corner kick and sailed just in front of the goal, but the attempt at a shot was batted around by a pair of Western Carolina players and then was kicked out by ETSU.

Both Catamount goals were scored by freshmen.

Western Carolina returns home at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Catamount Athletic Complex to host Tennessee Tech.

 

Coastal Carolina 3, The Citadel 0

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel women's soccer team dropped its home opener to Coastal Carolina 3-0 on Washington Light Infantry Field on Friday. The loss left the Bulldogs with a record of 0-4-0 on the season.

Goalkeeper Sarah Katchen shined in net as the junior recorded five tough saves, stymying two Chanticleer breakaways in the second half as the Bulldog backfield allowed Coastal Carolina (3-3-0) to post 19 shots, including eight on net.

Freshman Jannel Johnson played well on the attack, controlling the ball on the Bulldogs’ side of the field to record a personal-best six shots. Vanessa Aponte followed Johnson with four shots, including the lone shot on goal for The Citadel in the final seconds that was nabbed by Coastal Carolina keeper Megan Spencer.

The Chanticleers came out firing three quick shots in the first eight minutes to open up the game before the Bulldogs settled down and were able to control the ball on their side of the field.

The Citadel's best scoring opportunity came in the 32nd minute, when Anastasia Mesa drove a corner kick into the box that was headed by Johnson into the crossbar. Nicole Levermann collected the deflection and drove a shot toward the net, but it was blocked by a Coastal Carolina defender.

Shortly after the scoring opportunity, rain and lighting moved in, causing a one-hour delay with just four minutes left in the first half.

After the weather cleared, the teams closed out the first frame playing to a 0-0 draw.

It wouldn't take long in the second half for the first goal to be notched by Coastal Carolina's Kacey Kelley, who took a pass from teammate Ashley Day and drilled it into the net from about 12 yards out.

The Citadel would get a few more scoring opportunities in the second half as Johnson and Aponte drove powerful shots towards the goal that sailed wide left and high.

Coastal Carolina used its height advantage to collect two more second-half goals, both headed in off of corner kicks, to finish out the game with a 3-0 advantage.

The Bulldogs' 15 shots are the most they have recorded in a match this season.

The Citadel will host Northern Iowa next as it take on the Panthers this Sunday at noon on WLI Field.

 

South Florida 2, College of Charleston 1

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – The College of Charleston women’s soccer team fell 2-1 to South Florida in the opening match of the College of Charleston Cup at Patriots Point on Friday evening. The Cougars scored first and led at the half, but two late goals for USF proved to be the difference.

The Bulls clinched the deciding goal in a transitional play in the 88th minute when Daniella Andrade found space along the right side of the pitch and slid a low cross along the six-yard line, where Olivia Chance was in the right place and scored her second goal of the match.

The match, which started over two hours behind due to a lightning delay, saw the Cougars take an early lead on some clever ball movement and a precise strike by Kate Twohig for her first goal of the season.

The goal came in the 15th minute when CofC assist leader Sarah Cardamone sent a ball toward the top of the box from the right touch line. Sarah Schaidle stopped the ball with one touch and set it up for Twohig, who blasted a shot over the keeper’s head from 25 yards.

The Cougars played strong possession-style soccer in the opening period and did well in connecting passes and stringing balls together in the midfield.

Despite a somewhat deceptive 2-5 opening-period shot disadvantage, the Cougars won the possession battle in the middle third and forced the Bulls to settle for shot attempts from distance in the first half.

The Bulls’ closest first-half opportunity came in the 35th minute on a corner kick. Jackie Simpson headed the ball toward an open left corner of the net, but Cougar defender Toni Schneider got across the goal line and cleared the ball to safety.

The second half saw the Bulls become increasingly more aggressive and push the ball into the Cougars’ defensive third.

They evened the match in the 71st minute when Bianca Norman slipped a ball through the middle of the Cougar defense, where Chance ran onto it and tucked the ball into the top of the net from 10 yards away.

The Cougars continue play in the CofC Cup with the tournament finale on Sunday against Eastern Kentucky. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m.