The Citadel 3, Jacksonville State 1
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel’s Mariana Garcia added to her list of achievements on Friday when she recorded her first career hat trick in a 3-1 victory over Jacksonville State in nonconference women's soccer action at WLI Field.
The win was the first of the season for the Bulldogs (1-2) while the Gamecocks suffered their first defeat and dropped to 1-1-1. The Citadel completes its first weekend at home on Sunday with a 2 p.m. game against Canisius.
Garcia, who entered her senior season as The Citadel's all-time leader in most of the school's offensive categories, increased her career totals to 34 goals and 73 points. Her three tallies in Friday's win marked the first hat trick for a Bulldog since Nicole Levermann turned the trick against Davidson on Oct. 17, 2010.
After Jacksonville State took the lead on a goal by Mackenzie Bellows at the 16:08 mark, Garcia wasted little time in bringing the Bulldogs even. Just a minute and a half later, she took a pass from freshman Lea Raedle and beat Gamecock goalkeeper Taylor Hammond to produce the first goal of the season for The Citadel.
It only took another five minutes for the Bulldogs to take the lead. Levermann was pulled down in the box, creating a penalty kick opportunity that Garcia converted to put The Citadel in front to stay.
The Bogota, Colombia, native then sealed the victory at the 77:43 mark when she was assisted by Jillian Meyer for her third goal of the game.
The Gamecocks held a 22-16 advantage in shots, but freshman goalkeeper Naomi Carter stopped 10 of those attempts to keep The Citadel in control. Hammond finished with five saves for Jacksonville State.
Garcia led the Bulldogs with eight shots, including six on goal. Jackie Rush had six shots for the Gamecocks, followed by Kelsey Bright with five.
Following Sunday's game against Canisius, The Citadel is off until Sunday, Sept. 8, when Charleston Southern visits WLI Field to conclude a three-game homestand for the Bulldogs.
Samford 1, Auburn 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University soccer team defeated its second straight Southeastern Conference opponent Friday as the Bulldogs ran past the Auburn Tigers, 1-0, in a historic victory held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
The Bulldogs’ Malcanisha Kelley scored the game-winning goal in the 52nd minute of play as Samford (2-1) defeated Auburn (0-2-1) for the first time in school history. Kelley, the Bulldogs’ dynamic true freshman from Childersburg, Ala., also scored the game-winning goal in Sunday’s 1-0 home triumph over Tennessee.
Samford’s string of back-to-back victories over SEC opponents is also a school record. With the Bulldogs’ shutout win against Auburn, Samford defeated the Tigers for the first time in eight chances. In 2009, the teams played to a dramatic 0-0 season-opening draw held at Bulldog Field.
Samford snapped a three-match losing streak against Auburn and knocked off its fifth SEC opponent in school history. The Bulldogs’ list of conquests also includes Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Tennessee. Although Samford has never defeated Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs advanced past the Commodores via penalty kicks in the 2005 NCAA tournament.
Auburn outshot Samford, 13-10, Friday, but true freshman goalkeeper Katie Peters once again turned in an outstanding job in goal for the Bulldogs.
Peters registered five match-saving goals and tallied the second shutout of her young collegiate career. Her best stop of the night occurred in the 74th minute as she made a lunging save off a point-blank header from Auburn’s Maddie Barnes, which left the Tigers’ midfielder stunned in disbelief.
The Bulldogs’ game-winning goal occurred at exactly 51:02 in the second half.
On the scoring play, Samford’s Trine Taule stole an errant Auburn pass and sent the ball ahead to Kelley at midfield. During the pass, Kelley shielded the Tiger defender from the ball and ran under Taule’s assist on the left flank. She then outran one Auburn back and shifted past the final defender with a smooth crossover move 35 yards out.
After gaining an edge on the last Tiger defender, Kelley rifled a shot from 25 yards out that snaked its way into the left-hand corner of the net. The score was Kelley’s second of the fledgling 2013 campaign.
Samford was outshot, 9-1, in the opening half, but turned the tables in the second frame and posted a 9-4 disparity over the Tigers. The Bulldogs’ defense once again played solid behind the play of freshman Molly Pittman, junior Katie Danehy, junior Lindsey Hansen, sophomore Alissa Hansen and senior Jordan Johnson.
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs begin a two-match road trip against the Texas Longhorns in a pivotal nonconference contest to be held at Mike A. Myers Stadium (20,000) in Austin, Texas. Then, on Sept. 8, Samford will conclude its four-day, two-match road swing against UTSA in San Antonio, Texas.
Western Carolina 2, UNCW 1
GREENVILLE, N.C. – With goals from junior Sara Robinson and sophomore Markie-Lynn Studnicky, the Western Carolina women’s soccer team stretched its season-opening winning streak to three games on Friday evening, upending the UNCW Seahawks, 2-1, in tournament action at the East Carolina Soccer Stadium.
All three scores in the match came in the opening 45 minutes, with Studnicky recording her third career game-winning goal for the Catamounts. Collectively, WCU’s current three-game winning streak to start 2013 matches the best-ever in the program’s 15-year history, duplicating the starts in both the 2001 and 2005 seasons.
WCU also remained perfect against the in-state foe, claiming a 2-0 series record with wins in two of the past three seasons.
Robinson put the Catamounts on the board early in the first half with her second marker of the young season. Receiving a centering cross from her classmate Amanda Schwartz, Robinson collected and fired a shot into the lower right corner of the cage to put WCU on the board, 1-0, just over four minutes into the match.
The goal was the second of the season for Robinson, a native of Winston-Salem, N.C.
After the Catamounts lit the scoreboard first, UNCW uncorked five shots over the next 11 minutes looking for the equalizer. However, just over 19 minutes after their opening tally, the Catamounts would get an insurance marker as Studnicky notched her second goal of the season. Seahawks goalkeeper Carolyn Huddy came out of the net to play a ball but was beaten by Studnicky, who poked one in from 18 yards out, extending WCU’s advantage to 2-0.
UNCW (0-3) mounted a charge in the closing minutes of the opening stanza before converting inside the final five minutes of the half. At the 41:25 mark, UNCW’s Katrina Guillou tallied the first goal against the Catamounts in 2013. Theresa O’Sullivan fired a pass into the box, where Guillou settled before firing a turnaround shot into the lower left corner of the goal for the score.
Looking to capitalize on its momentum grabbed at the end of the first half, UNCW had two corner kick opportunities inside the opening three minutes of the second half that generated one shot opportunity, which sailed wide. The Seahawks had the first three shots of the half.
Pressing for another insurance goal, the Catamounts nearly converted on a set piece from a corner kick with 17 minutes remaining. Haven Leland put a corner kick into play where senior Christina White was able to get a touch, but Huddy was able to knock it down for the save and preserve the one-goal deficit for UNCW. That was the only shot credited to WCU in the second half.
In a final push by the Seahawks, Stephanie Bronson fired high over the net in the 80th minute, but the Catamounts were able to hang on from there to pick up the victory.
As they have done through each of the first three matches, Catamount keepers Jenny Lauer and Carly Tinstman split the contest equally. Lauer, a junior, earned the starting nod – and the subsequent victory – making two saves in 45 minutes between the pipes, surrendering her first goal of the year. A freshman from Raleigh, N.C., Tinstman played the role of closer, blanking UNCW over the final 45 minutes and making one save.
UNCW held a 12-4 edge in shots, including an 8-3 edge in the opening 20 minutes. However, the shots on goal tally stood tied at four apiece with WCU scoring on two of its four shots in the victory. In addition to Robinson, Studnicky and White, junior Caitlyn Bradham also recorded a shot on goal for the Purple & Gold.
Western Carolina concludes tournament play on Sunday at 2 p.m. against the host ECU Pirates. The Catamounts are 1-4 all-time against their directional rival with WCU’s lone victory coming in Cullowhee, N.C., during the 2004 season.
UNCG 1, East Carolina 0
GREENVILLE, N.C. – A second-half goal from freshman Georgia Brown gave UNCG women’s soccer a 1-0 victory on the road against East Carolina Friday night at the ECU Soccer Stadium.
The Spartans improved to 2-1 on the season, gaining their second road win of the 2013 campaign.
In the 58th minute, Brown raced past an ECU defender to setup a 1-on-1 with the keeper, beating her to the ball and scoring her first collegiate goal.
Sophomore goalkeeper Jamie Simmons picked up her 10th career shutout and second of the season.
Brown had another opportunity in the 85th minute, taking a shot that just missed going into the net.
In the first half, sophomore Zoe Fishman worked her way inside the box and took a shot on goal, but East Carolina keeper Sandra Barron made the save in the 14th minute.
In the 20th minute, Brown ripped a shot that went just wide of the goal. Simmons ended the half with three saves, including a couple from close range in the 32nd minute.
UNCG will finish the ECU tournament against instate rival UNCW on Sunday at noon at the ECU Soccer Stadium.
Chattanooga 5, Tennessee Temple 0
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s soccer team posted a 5-0 win over Tennessee Temple on Friday night at Finley Stadium, scoring all five goals in the first half.
The Mocs improved to 1-1 on the year and Tennessee Temple dropped below .500 at 1-2.
Sophomore Hannah Wyatt led Chattanooga with a pair of goals and an assist for five points, tied for 10th-most in school history in a single game.
Junior Crystal Mackezyk got the scoring started with a goal in the 10th minute on a feed up the middle from freshman Monica Speth, beating out the defense for the score. Just over two minutes later, sophomore Clare Latham connected on a goal on an assist from Wyatt from the left side to the middle of the box.
Wyatt took a pass from Speth on the left side into the box for her first goal and was fed by Mackezyk up the middle on her second in the 22nd minute. Sophomore Melanie Arredondo lofted a pass from near midfield over the heads of the Temple defenders and it bounced past the keeper and into the lower right side for the score.
The Mocs outshot the Crusaders 11-1 in the first half but the two evened out the second half with each getting three shots. Chattanooga keeper Lauren Thomas played all 90 minutes in goal and pulled in three saves on four shots by Tennessee Temple.
Mackezyk had a game-high four shots with one goal and one assist. Speth took three shots on the night, including one that glanced off the post, and assisted on two goals. Both of Wyatt’s shots found the back of the net, and Latham took two shots with both on goal, including one into the net.
The Mocs will head out for their first road game of the season. They will take on Alabama State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Furman 2, Presbyterian 1
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sophomores Jamie Alexander and Stephanie DeVita each scored goals as Furman claimed a 2-1 victory over Presbyterian before a crowd of 1,352 in its home opener on Friday night at Stone Stadium.
The win improved the Paladins to 1-1-0 on the season, while PC slipped to 0-2-0.
Alexander, a native Martinez, Ga., put the Paladins on top just 11:49 into the match as she headed in a cross from junior India Robinson.
Furman continued to pressure PC goalkeeper Sydney Fontenot in the first half as Robinson rattled the crossbar with a shot and Hannah Stanifer's effort from the top of the box was tipped onto the crossbar. Dee Makris set up DeVita for a tap-in late in the first half, but Fontenot was equal to the test once again as she smothered a goal-bound shot.
The Paladins finally netted their second goal with just 11:12 remaining in regulation. Makris was played into space on the right side and slid a pass to the top of the 6-yard box that DeVita finished for her first goal of the campaign.
Presbyterian halved the Paladin lead in the 82nd minute on a driving free kick from Stephanie Allen that found the opposite corner of the net from 25 yards out, but Furman's defense did not allow the Blue Hose to threaten again.
The Paladins managed a 24-6 shots advantage and compiled a 13-3 edge in shots on goal.
Sophomore Maggie Grisell recorded two saves in goal to earn the win while Fontenot finished with 11 stops.
Furman returns to action on Sunday when it travels to Athens, Ga., to face the Georgia Bulldogs.
Davidson 0, Florida Gulf Coast 0 (2OT)
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Junior goalkeeper Rachel Locke made clutch saves in the second half and overtime, while the rest of the Wildcat defense in front of her played superbly for 110 minutes as Davidson played to a scoreless draw at Florida Gulf Coast in the first day of the Embassy Suite Classic on Friday evening at the FGCU Soccer Complex.
Davidson (0-1-2) played to its second straight draw after holding Coastal Carolina scoreless last Sunday. FGCU, favored to repeat as Atlantic Sun champion, moved to 1-1-1.
Despite being pressured most of the second half and into overtime, Locke and her teammates held strong and never backed down.
Locke played one of her best games as a Wildcat, registering a career-high 10 saves and picking up her 10th career shutout. None of those saves were bigger than three monster ones she had late in the second half, including a penalty kick save in the 75th minute, which helped the ‘Cats push the game to overtime.
After a penalty by Davidson in the box, FGCU lined up for a PK. The shot went to the right post and Locke read it perfectly, swatting it away, then blocked another shot on the rebound as the ball went out of bounds for a corner. The ‘Cats defense took care of the rest, clearing the ball out off the corner.
Locke’s third big save came in the 89th minute with a diving save to keep the game scoreless. She added two in the second overtime, punching the ball away on both shot attempts.
After not getting much on offense in the first half, Davidson had a couple of solid looks in the second half but saw FGCU fend them off. Julia Singley had a shot from the far side blocked by the Eagle’s Brittany Brown on a diving stop. The Wildcats were unable to convert anything on their corner kick.
Three minutes later in the 69th minute, Rachel Stelter ripped a free kick just outside the 18-yard box that went to the left of the post.
Classmate Stephanie Piperno had a good look on a shot in overtime, ripping the ball about 22 yards out that went to the right side.
The Eagles held a 30-10 shot advantage, while getting nine corner kicks to Davidson’s two.
The Wildcats close out the Embassy Suite Classic Sunday at 10:30 a.m. against Florida Atlantic, which dropped a 3-1 decision to Mississippi State in the first game of the day. It will be the first matchup between the schools.
Coastal Carolina 2, Wofford 0
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford women's soccer team lost to Coastal Carolina, 2-0 Friday evening in its home opener at Snyder Field. The Terriers fell to 0-2-1 overall, while the Chanticleers improved to 1-1-1 on the season.
Coastal Carolina got took the lead in the 16th minute, when junior defender Rylie Johnson scored on a header off of midfielder Camille Christie’s corner kick to make the score 1-0.
The Chanticleers extended their lead 2-0 when freshman forward Brianna Panico scored with a shot with outside of her foot just outside the 18-yard box in the 28th minute. Sophomore midfielder Darbie Kelley was credited with the assist.
The Terriers’ best opportunity came in the 39th minute when sophomore midfielder Mary Beth Bleekrode’s free kick from 23 yards out just sailed over the goal.
In the second half, the Terriers had an opportunity to get back into the game when sophomore forward Chloe Brackett had a shot just outside the 18-yard box that was heading into the lower left corner of the goal in the 62nd minute. Chanticleer goalkeeper Megan Spencer was forced to make a big save to keep the score at 2-0.
The teams battled back and forth, but no one was able to get onto the score sheet in the final minutes of the game.
For the Terriers, senior goalkeeper Kimberly Cohn played the first half and suffered her first loss of the season, facing a total of seven Coastal Carolina shots and making two saves. Junior goalkeeper Kara Boggs played the second 45-minute period, facing five shots and making three saves.
For the Chanticleers, Spencer earned her first win and second shutout of the season. She faced nine Terrier shots and made three saves.
In the match, Coastal Carolina won the battle in shots 12-9, and had eight corners to Wofford’s three.
Wofford will return to action on Sunday when it hosts UNC Asheville for the second game of its opening weekend at Snyder Field. The game will kick off at 2 p.m.
NC State 4, Georgia Southern 0
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State limited the Georgia Southern women's soccer team to seven shots and posted a 4-0 shutout victory on Friday night.
The Wolfpack scored three first-half goals to jump out to an early lead and added one second-half goal to earn its second victory of the season. The Eagles fell to 0-3 on the early year after the loss.
Caroline Gentry put NC State on the board with a goal at the 6:36 mark after she followed up a loose ball and placed it in the net for the early lead. Jackie Stengel scored consecutive goals 27 minutes in and 41:11 in, respectively. Britney Stanko provided the Wolfpack's final goal in the second half.
Nora El-Shami led the Eagles with three shots and placed one on goal. Alex Murphy recorded GSU's only other shot on goal. Stephanie Gratto, Taylor Burns and Jennifer Wittick also tallied shots in the match.
After the Wolfpack held an 8-1 shot advantage in the first half, the Eagles equaled NC State's shots in the second half with six. GSU led the match in corner kicks 5-4.
GSU returns to action Sunday at High Point. Game time for the finale of a four-game road trip is set for 2 p.m.
Colorado College 4, Appalachian State 0
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Appalachian State’s women’s soccer team fell 4-0 to the host Tigers of Colorado College at the Colorado College Invitational on Friday.
The Tigers proved to be a strong test for the Mountaineers, outshooting the Apps by a 23-3 margin. Appalachian State was only able to manage two shots on target compared to the Tigers’ 13. Kate Ward registered two shots for the Mountaineers, while Merlin Beckwith added a shot.
Chanisse Hendrix scored in the 28th minute to get the scoring started for Colorado College. Hendrix added a second goal in the 66th minute. Megan Kilkenny scored in the 81st minute to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead. Jaclyn Silsby added a fourth tally for the Tigers with her score in the 88th minute.
Megan Roberson received the start in net for head coach Sarah Strickland’s squad. Roberson made nine saves on 13 shots.
The Mountaineers play again on Sunday against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. (EDT).