Davidson 2, Georgia Southern 0
STATESBORO, Ga. – Defenders Zoe Hayes and Dani Johnson each scored off free kicks in helping Davidson clinch a spot in the women’s soccer Southern Conference tournament with a 2-0 road win at Georgia Southern on Wednesday evening at Eagle Field.
Davidson reached the tournament for the 10th straight year, improving to 6-10-4 overall and finishing 4-5-1 in league play, good for seventh place. GSU closes out the year with a 5-11-2 record overall and 3-6-1 in the SoCon.
Hayes got the Wildcats on the board early with a free-kick strike from about 39 yards out with 6:27 on the clock. It was the junior’s first goal of the season.
The score would stay 1-0 until Johnson, for the second game in a row, found the back of the net for an insurance goal. After scoring the 'Cats' lone goal on Sunday on a penalty kick at Furman, this time the second-year defender shot one in off a free kick at the 76:36 mark in the second half.
Rachel Locke and the defense took care of the rest, holding off an attacking Eagle squad that had seven of their 10 shots in the second half. Locke got her sixth shutout of the season, a new career high, as she stopped seven shots to push her season total to a personal-best 97. It’s the most saves by a Wildcat keeper since Bevin English had 86 in 2007.
The Eagles held a 10-6 advantage in shots and a 7-4 edge on corner kicks.
Davidson will face No. 2 seed Elon in the SoCon tournament first round on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Furman 2, Wofford 0
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Freshman Carlie Couch and senior Dee Makris each netted goals to lead the Furman women’s soccer team to a 2-0 victory over the Wofford Terriers in the regular-season finale for both schools Wednesday evening on Seagraves Field at Stone Soccer Stadium.
The victory, the 10th shutout of the season for Furman’s defense, improved the Southern Conference regular-season champions to 14-3-2 overall and 8-1-1 in league play while snapping the Terriers’ seven-match unbeaten run.
Furman, the top seed in the SoCon tournament, will host eighth-seeded Western Carolina in a first-round match on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Stone Stadium. Wofford dropped to 8-4-5 overall and 4-2-4 in the SoCon.
Wofford earned the sixth seed and will face No. 3 seed UNCG in Greensboro, N.C., on Sunday at 2 p.m.
After few chances were created in the opening 30 minutes of the match, Couch tallied the deciding goal at the 35:48 mark. Stephanie DeVita unleashed a driving shot from the right side of the box that rebounded to Couch on the left side, and the Tifton, Ga., native hammered in her chance from 10 yards. The goal marked Couch’s 11th of the season and third match-winner. She has now tallied a league-leading 10 goals and 25 total points in 10 SoCon matches.
Wofford has its best opportunity to tie the match less than 10 minutes into the second half. Chloe Brackett found space on the right side of the box and bent a shot toward the far corner, but Paladin goalkeeper Rose Hull made a leaping effort to punch the shot away.
The Furman defense held Wofford at bay the rest of the night and Makris put the game out of reach in the 71st minute with her third score of the campaign. India Robinson played a pass from near the center circle. Makris took a couple of touches before lining a 26-yard shot into the lower left-hand corner at 70:10. Robinson’s assist on the play marked her SoCon- and NCAA Division I-leading 16th of the 2013 season.
Furman finished with a commanding 22-4 advantage in total shot attempts and 10-2 edge in shots on goal.
Hull, now 10-1-1 between the pipes this season, grabbed two saves to earn the win, while Kara Boggs stopped eight shots for Wofford in a losing effort.
Western Carolina 1, Appalachian State 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina downed Appalachian State 1-0 Wednesday at the Catamount Athletic Complex to earn a berth in the 2013 Southern Conference Women’s Soccer Championship.
With the victory, the Catamounts (10-8-1, 4-6 SoCon) are the No. 8 seed and will play at No. 1 seed Furman at 2 p.m. Sunday in the first round of the tournament. Western Carolina is just one of two SoCon teams this season to hold the Paladins to one goal or fewer. The Catamounts lost to Furman 1-0 on Oct. 18 and the Mountaineers tied the Paladins 0-0 in double overtime.
Appalachian State (8-4-5, 4-2-4 SoCon) secured the fifth seed and will take on No. 4 seed Samford in Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday at 4 p.m. Central.
Redshirt sophomore Sara Robinson netted the game-winning goal with less than nine minutes left in the contest, at the 81:26 mark. A heady pass by sophomore forward Kelly Pannell found Robinson all alone, going one-one-one with Appalachian State Megan Roberson. Pannell took the shot from about 10 yards out and sailed it into the left side of the net. Robinson’s goal was just minutes after Pannell had almost the same situation but her look was saved by Robinson.
Western Carolina and the crowd were on the edge of their seats with numerous close call goals that either were saved by Roberson or just missed it mark. Sophomore forward Markie-Lynn Studnicky just missed scoring when her shot sailed over the crossbar.
The Catamount defense was as strong, as it has been all season, and it proved to be oppressive against Appalachian State. The Mountaineers had five corner kicks and just five shots, four on goal, and only one equating to a save by WCU freshman goalkeeper Carly Tinstman. In contrast, Western Carolina had 13 shots, 10 on goal.
The Catamounts were bolstered by one of the biggest crowds of the season, almost 500 in attendance, as many dressed up in costumes for the Halloween-themed game.
Samford 7, Chattanooga 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University soccer team registered a lopsided 7-1 Southern Conference victory against the Chattanooga Mocs on Wednesday in the teams’ regular-season finale held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
In its demonstrative win, Samford (12-5-2, 5-3-2 SoCon) received two goals apiece from Malcanisha Kelley and Trine Taule, while senior Michelle Moll kicked off the scoring with her lone score of the night in the ninth minute. The Bulldogs also received goals from true freshmen Sara Smeltzer and Olivia Cole. Their scores were each the first of their young collegiate careers.
Also in the victory, Samford registered seven goals in a match for the first time since Oct. 3, 2010, when the Bulldogs defeated The Citadel, 7-0.
Samford secured the No. 4 seed in the upcoming SoCon tournament, as Appalachian State and Wofford both lost on the road Wednesday. Appalachian State fell to Western Carolina, 1-0, while Wofford was defeated on the road at Furman, 2-0. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with 17 points, just one ahead of both Appalachian State and Wofford.
An Oct. 20 draw at Furman handed Appalachian State the tiebreaker win over Wofford, so the Mountaineers finished the 2013 campaign as the No. 5 seed and will play at Samford on Sunday at 4 p.m. (CST). Earlier this season, the Bulldogs earned a thrilling 2-1 road victory at Appalachian State.
With its 7-1 loss Wednesday, Chattanooga (5-13, 0-10 SoCon) completed conference play with an 0-10 record. The Mocs also dropped to 1-7 all-time against Samford as the Bulldogs extended their winning streak in the series to six consecutive matches, dating back to Sept. 21, 1999.
Moll, Samford’s two-time All-SoCon performer, tallied the first goal of Wednesday’s match in the ninth minute of action. Her score was assisted by fellow senior Jordan Johnson, who finished the contest with two helpers and increased her team-leading total this season to seven assists.
The Bulldogs’ Kelley, who has a great argument to be named the SoCon Freshman of the Year next week, scored her seventh and eighth goals of the season Wednesday. Her first was assisted by Diana Getzewich, while in the fourth minute of the second half, Kelley faked out a pair of Chattanooga defenders and rifled a shot into the right corner of the goal for an unassisted score.
Samford recorded the final five goals Wednesday, including a pair from Taule, who notched her sixth and seventh of the season just 2:42 apart early in the second half. With the goals, Taule has now scored 23 in her career and moved into a tie for third place on the Bulldogs’ all-time scoring list.
Samford’s Melissa Montgomery earned Wednesday’s start in goal and played a majority of the contest. She tallied the win for the Bulldogs and moved to 5-2-2 this season. True freshman Dale Steinagle came in at the end of the first half and logged just under 10 minutes of playing time while registering a pair of key saves.
Crystal Mackeyzk scored the Mocs’ lone goal of the match in the 20th minute off a pass from Andria Aurand.
Taylor Mangrum made seven saves and allowed three goals in 73 minutes of work. Lauren Thomas worked the final 17 minutes, making one save and allowing one goal.
Statistically, Samford outshot Chattanooga, 25-11, and won the corner-kick battle, 9-0. Fouls were even at 7-7.
Elon 2, UNCG 2 (2OT)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Elon University women's soccer team closed the regular season with a hard-fought 2-2 draw on Wednesday night at UNCG.
With the tie, Elon earned the No. 2 seed in the 2013 Southern Conference tournament and hosts a quarterfinals match on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Rudd Field versus Davidson. The result moves Elon's record to 11-2-6 (5-1-4 Southern Conference).
UNCG clinched the No. 3, finishing the regular season at 10-6-3 overall and 5-2-3 in league play. The Spartans will host No. 6 seed Wofford on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the SoCon quarterfinals.
With two goals Wednesday, Elon ended the regular season without being shut out in any of its 19 matches.
Following a near miss in front of the goal in the ninth minute by Angela Funari, the Phoenix took a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute following a strike into the upper left corner of the goal by Bethany Houpt from 25 yards away. The goal marked Houpt's second of the season.
The Spartans tied the match in the 41st minute after a Chesney White score on a Katelyn Mountjoy free kick just before half.
Catherine Brinkman helped the maroon and gold regain the lead in the 58th minute after tapping in a Kimmie Krauss pass near the right post to give Elon a 2-1 edge. The goal was Brinkman's sixth of the season.
But UNCG hit the equalizer in the 73rd minute on a Katherine Rodriquez score from inside the box. Tracy Wolf assisted on the play.
At the end of regulation, the Spartans held a 10-5 edge in shots, but the Phoenix held a 6-4 edge in corners.
Olivia Mackey nearly score the game winner with less than 10 seconds left in the second overtime, but her free kick hit off the right post and into the hands of UNCG keeper Jamie Simmons.
Francis Marion 4, The Citadel 3 (OT)
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Francis Marion's Chanel Harris converted a penalty kick in overtime to offset a two-goal performance by The Citadel's Lea Raedle and give the Patriots a 4-3 victory over the Bulldogs in the women's soccer season finale for both teams.
Sara Winch was called for a foul in the box and issued a yellow card with 5:27 expired in overtime, and Harris put the ensuing penalty kick to the left of Bulldog goalkeeper Sam Millspaugh to end the contest.
The Citadel (5-11-2) led 1-0 and 2-1 and took its third lead of the game when Raedle scored in the 74th minute to make it 3-2. After Francis Marion tied it on a goal by Elizabeth Asare five minutes later, Raedle had a breakaway opportunity with just over four minutes left in regulation but was denied after a hard tackle in the box.
Raedle finished her freshman season with five goals and seven assists to lead the Bulldogs with 17 points. Her assist total is tied with Vanessa Aponte in 2012 for the school single-season record.
Ruth Leiva put The Citadel on the board 15 minutes into the contest when her shot from 30 yards out went over the head of Patriot netminder Taylor O'Berry. The goal was the fifth of the year for Leiva and the 10th of her career, enabling the senior to finish the year in ninth place in the school record book.
Tori Whigham tied it for Francis Marion in the 40th minute and scored again in the 52nd minute following Raedle's first goal of the game to knot the contest at 2.
Nicole Levermann assisted on the second Raedle goal to give her a final career total of 39 points (17 goals, five assists), good for sixth in school history. Her 17 goals rank as the fifth-highest total in school annals.
Both teams finished with 21 shots. Millspaugh made six saves and O'Berry was credited with nine.