Furman 2, USC Upstate 0
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Senior Caitlin Shelton converted from the penalty spot less than six minutes into the match and senior Ellen Moore added a second-half goal to lift Furman to a 2-0 victory over USC Upstate in women’s soccer action on Seagraves Field at Stone Stadium on Thursday evening.
The victory improved the Paladins to 2-2-0 on the season, while Upstate slid to 1-3-1.
With the match scoreless in the sixth minute, Stephanie DeVita beat her defender into the left side of the box and was taken down from behind to earn a penalty kick. Shelton stepped up to the spot and drilled a low shot inside the right post for her first goal of the season to give the Paladins a 1-0 lead at the 5:44 mark.
Furman continued to pressure the Spartans defense and compiled a 13-2 edge in shots during the first half while forcing USC Upstate goalkeeper Sarah Plantz into seven saves in the opening 45 minutes.
The Paladins finally broke through to double the lead less than five minutes after the restart. Once again, DeVita created the danger by dribbling into the left side of the box. She slid a pass to Moore at the top of the 6-yard box, and the Tampa, Fla., native touched a shot past Plantz and inside the near post at 49:05.
Furman finished with a 25-5 edge in shots and commanding 13-1 advantage in shots on goal. Rose Hull, who played the first half in net, earned the victory. Maggie Grisell and Holly Reilly split time in goal in the second half. Plantz, who claimed 11 saves, absorbed the loss for the Spartans.
Furman takes the weekend off before returning to action on Sept. 13 in Starkville, Miss., against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Elon 3, Greensboro College 0
ELON, N.C. – Two goals from Nicole Dennion lifted the Elon University women’s soccer team to a 3-0 win over the visiting Greensboro College Pride on Thursday night at Rudd Field.
Elon improved to 2-0-1 on the young season with the win.
Dennion put the Phoenix up 1-0 in the seventh minute after heading in a Marissa Russo cross into the back left corner.
In the 64th minute, Dennion knocked in a cross from Kimmie Krauss to extend Elon’s lead to 2-0 over the Pride.
Kendall Stanley knocked in her first goal of the season in the 79th minute after blasting a shot from point-blank range in front of Greensboro’s net to give the Maroon and Gold insurance late in the match.
Elon outshot Greensboro 33-1 in the win. The Phoenix also finished with a 16-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Kate Murphy earned the shutout for the Phoenix, her second of the season and 15th career clean sheet.
Elon returns to action at Rudd Field on Sunday at 7 p.m. against High Point.
Appalachian State 2, UNC Asheville 0
BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State’s Samantha Childress scored a pair of goals as the Mountaineers returned to Appalachian Soccer Stadium on Thursday and beat UNC Asheville by a 2-0 final.
Megan Roberson received the starting nod for the Mountaineers and earned her first clean sheet of the season while making two saves on the night.
With 2:20 left in the first half, played was stopped for nearly a half hour as athletic trainers tended to an injured Bulldog player before play resumed and the teams ended the first 45 minutes in a 0-0 tie.
The offensive attack picked up for the Mountaineers in the second half. Samantha Childress broke through with her first goal of the season on a beautiful assist from Julia Holz in the 54th minute, giving Appalachian a 1-0 advantage.
In the 80th minute, Childress and Holz would hook up again on a pass right at the top of the 18 that Childress would place in the upper 90, beating UNC Asheville goalkeeper Heather Muller for her second score of the night.
Appalachian State held the advantage in shots, 10-9. The Mountaineers also held a strong advantage in corner kicks, 5-1. Childress had five shots, with four on target, to lead the team. The two assists for Holz were her first and second of the season, respectively.
The team does not return to Appalachian Soccer Stadium until Sept. 22 when it hosts Morehead State. The Mountaineers will hit the road on Sept. 15 when they travel to High Point. Kickoff for that game is set for 7 p.m.