Furman 4, Wofford 2
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Senior India Robinson assisted on three Furman goals to lead the Paladins to a 4-2 victory over Wofford in Southern Conference women’s soccer action on Friday evening at Snyder Field.
With the victory, Furman improved to 8-3-2 overall and 2-1-2 in SoCon play, while Wofford fell to 4-8-0 overall and 1-4-0 in the league.
Robinson helped put the Paladins in front in the 16th minute by feeding a pass to junior Kristen Baker, who hammered a shot past Wofford goalkeeper Kara Boggs from outside the box at the 15:47 mark.
Less than four minutes later, a deflected shot fell into the path of Molly Dwyer in the box and the freshman fired a shot into the back of the net at 19:57 to double the Paladin lead at 2-0.
Wofford pulled with a score in the 40th minute. Rachel Fenner won the ball on a clearance by the Furman defense and lofted a 30-yard shot into the upper corner to put the Terriers on the board.
In the second half, Robinson set up the eventual winning tally at the 49:51 mark. The Camden, S.C., native played a pass into the path of sophomore Carlie Couch and the forward blasted a shot into the right corner on a one-v-one against Boggs.
Junior Stephanie DeVita extended the Paladin lead to 4-1 at the 81:46 mark with her eighth goal of the campaign. Robinson picked out DeVita before the Simpsonville, S.C., product snuck a shot into the corner from a tight angle.
Robinson’s third assist of the night marked her 11th of the season and 44th of her Furman career. Her 11 assists are tied for seventh on Furman’s single season assists ledger. She led all of NCAA Division I a year ago with 17 assists.
Wofford added a late goal as Maureen Buff converted from the penalty spot after the Terriers’ Vicki Hill was tackled in the box.
Furman finished with a 28-15 advantage in shot attempts and 13-8 edge in shots on goal. Junior Rose Hull stopped six shots in 70 minutes to earn the win in goal, while Maggie Grisell added a save in 20 minutes of action. Boggs saved nine shots for Wofford.
The Paladins return to action next Friday when they host the Samford Bulldogs in a key SoCon matchup on Seagraves Field at Stone Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m.
The Terriers have a week off before playing Chattanooga next Friday. The women’s soccer team kicks off at 6 p.m. on Snyder Field.
Mercer 2, ETSU 1 (2OT)
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer women’s soccer team defeated ETSU, 2-1, in a double-overtime thriller on Friday night at Bear Field.
The Bears (8-4-2, 3-0-2 SoCon) entered the match ranked No. 2 in the Southern Conference, while the Bucs (11-4-0, 3-2-0) topped the SoCon standings.
ETSU took an early 1-0 lead on a Simona Koren goal in the 11th minute, which it held on to for almost the entirety of the match. Stephanie Giangiuli found the back of the net for the Bears in the 88th minute to tie the score at 1-1. Neither team scored in the final 2:05 of regulation, sending the match to overtime.
Both teams had a couple of chances in the first overtime, but again neither was able to finish, sending the game to a second overtime period.
Just 1:47 into the second overtime, Maddie Clark tapped the ball in from just outside the post after getting the rebound off a shot from Katelyn Dimopoulos. The goal gave Mercer the 2-1 win and ended the game.
The Bears outshot the Bucs, 30-12, and won the corner kick battle, 10-3. In goal, Maggie Cropp made five saves.
The loss snapped ETSU's winning streak at three.
Next up, Mercer hosts Western Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 12, at 2 p.m. at Bear Field. The match is the final home game of the regular season and will serve as Senior Day. The Bears will honor their 10 seniors in a pregame ceremony.
ETSU will continue SoCon play Sunday as the Bucs visit The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.
Western Carolina 3, The Citadel 1
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Western Carolina scored all three of its goals in the second half, defeating The Citadel 3-1 Friday in a key Southern Conference road match at WLI Field.
The Catamounts improved to 3-1-1 in the Southern Conference and 6-4-4 overall. Western Carolina upped its point total to 10, keeping pace in the SoCon race. The Citadel fell to 5-10-0 and 1-4-0 in the SoCon.
WCU has lost just one game in the last nine contests, outscoring conference opponents 12-6.
Western Carolina controlled the game from the first whistle but couldn't find the back of the net in the first half. After a scoreless first half, WCU and The Citadel combined for four goals in the final 45 minutes.
Freshman forward Chandler Arrowood broke open the scoreless game, scoring at the 56:26 mark. Arrowood took a pass from Sara Robinson, shooting inside the box to send it into the net. It was Arrowood's third goal of the season.
Just a minute later, senior forward Caitlyn Bradham scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal when she found the net at 57:35. Bradham's unassisted goal came off a loose ball she corralled and put it into the top right corner. Bradham pushed her goal total to four on the season, which leads the team.
The Citadel avoided the shutout by scoring at 63:53, cutting the WCU lead to one. The Bulldogs' Vanessa Apointe blasted a shot from 25 yards out, off a pass from Anna Mesa, for the score.
Western Carolina's Madison Lee scored the Catamounts' third goal of the game with just two minutes left in the game. Lee took a cross from Kelly Pannell and powered it in from inside the box.
Western Carolina outshot The Citadel 21-9 and took 12 corner kicks. The Bulldogs did not have a corner kick in the game.
The Catamounts close out their regular-season road games Sunday when they travel to Mercer. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
The Citadel hosts ETSU for Senior Day on Sunday at 2 p.m. Prior to Sunday's game, the 2014 senior class of Flo Amess, Vanessa Aponte, Nicholle Griffith, Ana Mesa, Grace Raines and Karina Schneider will be honored.
Samford 5, VMI 0
LEXINGTON, Va. – On a rainy, overcast afternoon at Patchin Field, the Samford University soccer team extended its road winning streak to three consecutive matches Friday as the Bulldogs posted a 5-0 triumph against new Southern Conference foe VMI.
In its offensive barrage against the Keydets, Samford (8-7-0, 3-1-0 SoCon) received a pair of goals each from seniors Amanda Abbott and Katie Danehy, as well as a score from junior Hallie Georgi. The Bulldogs dominated the pace of play throughout the contest and outshot VMI (2-10-1, 1-3-0 SoCon) by a count of 33-5.
Samford also earned an 11-3 advantage on corner kicks and won the shots-on-goal battle by a significant 16-1 margin.
Since dropping a 2-0 decision at Lipscomb on Sept. 14, the Bulldogs have rattled off consecutive road victories against Austin Peay, 3-1, Chattanooga, 3-0, and VMI, 5-0.
Samford quickly jumped on the board Friday with a goal from Abbott in the seventh minute of action. The score proved to be her first of two in the match as she also added a tally in the 50th minute of play. Abbott, the Bulldogs’ speedy senior forward from Marietta, Ga., has now scored six goals this season.
Georgi notched her first goal of the season in the 43rd minute to extend Samford’s lead to 2-0. Georgi’s goal was assisted by both Brittany Hoffman and Malcanisha Kelley as she slammed home a shot from 5 yards out.
Samford took its 2-0 advantage into the intermission but didn’t stop there. Counting Georgi’s tally at 42:56, the Bulldogs registered four goals in just under 11 minutes of play as Danehy, Abbott and Danehy again all scored to extend Samford’s lead to 5-0 at 53:11.
Danehy, the Bulldogs’ 5-10 senior defender from Memphis, Tenn., scored both of her goals in a 5:40 span (48’ and 54’). The scores were Danehy’s first two of the 2014 campaign.
Sophomore forward Jermaine Seoposenwe earned three assists Friday. A native of Cape Town, South Africa, Seoposenwe has been on an offensive tear as of late, as she has tallied three goals and three assists in the Bulldogs’ last three matches.
Samford’s Hoffman added two assists against VMI, her first two of the season.
The Bulldogs’ goalkeepers Anna Maddox and Melissa Montgomery combined to record the team’s third shutout of the 2014 campaign. Since Sept. 19, Samford has outscored its opponents by a total of 18-9.
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 1 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs continue play in their arduous four-match SoCon road trip against the UNCG Spartans to be held at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
VMI will return to action Sunday, as the Keydets play host to the Chattanooga Mocs at Patchin Field. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
UNCG 9, Chattanooga 0
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG women’s soccer team scored a season-high nine goals, including six in the second half, to defeat Chattanooga 9-0 Friday night after a weather delay at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
After an hour-and-30-minute weather delay, the Spartans handed the Mocs their worst loss of the season.
UNCG improved to 7-4-3, 3-0-1 in the SoCon while Chattanooga fell to 1-10-1, 0-4-0 in conference action. The Blue and Gold have scored 18 goals in four conference games, holding opponents to just three.
Junior Chesney White finished with her first career hat trick and added an assist in the contest. White added to her career high with 13 goals on the season. Sophomore Katelyn Mountjoy scored her first goal of the season and dished out three assists in the victory.
In the first half, UNCG opened the scoring in the 13th minute after a pretty setup by sophomore Georgia Brown and Mountjoy, who found White for her 11th goal of the season.
Two minutes later, White played a perfect ball inside the box, where junior Candice Forbes fired into the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season.
Mountjoy finished a rebound off a team save by the Mocs to put the Spartans up 3-0. Forbes placed a header shot toward the net, where a Chattanooga defender was able to make the save, but Mountjoy finished the rebound.
The Blue and Gold continued their offensive display, scoring six second-half goals. White put home her second of the game off a header shot after a corner kick from Mountjoy in the 53rd minute.
Seven minutes later, junior Zoe Fishman raced down the right sideline, putting a cross inside the box, where White scored her third of the game and 13th on the season.
In the 62nd minute, Mountjoy placed another perfect corner kick, finding junior Ashley Eddleman, who headed in her first goal of the season.
Three minutes later, sophomore Alex Pryor made a couple of pretty moves inside the box and blasted home her first collegiate goal to give UNCG a 7-0 lead.
Junior Tracy Wolf scored the final two goals and has scored three goals in her last two games. Wolf added her first off the corner kick from classmate Katherine Rodriguez and tapped in another goal off the assist from sophomore Alexis Thomas.
Redshirt freshman Kimberly Shaver led the team with a season-high five shots, including a couple of close-range attempts.
Junior Kirsten Glad split time in goal with redshirt freshman goalkeeper Chloe Buehler as each played half of the game. Glad picked up the victory and finished with one save.
UNCG faces Samford on Sunday, Oct. 12, at 2 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
The Mocs will travel to VMI on Sunday afternoon for the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The game kicks at 1 p.m.