Western Carolina 3, Wofford 0
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina opened Southern Conference play with a 3-0 win over Wofford on Friday at the Catamount Athletic Complex. The Catamounts scored all three goals in the second half.
The Catamounts improved to 4-3-3 and 1-0 in the Southern Conference, moving above .500 for the first time this season. Western Carolina is on a three-game winning streak and is 4-0-1 over the last five games. Wofford fell to 3-5 and 0-1 in the SoCon.
Western Carolina has not allowed a goal in the last 376 minutes and has recorded three straight shutouts. Western Carolina has outscored opponents 8-1 over the last four games.
In the first half against Wofford, Western Carolina played aggressively and was on the attack. However, it didn't equate to a goal.
The second half was a different story. The Catamounts scored the first of its three second-half goals at the 55:58 mark. Senior forward Caitlyn Bradham took a pass from fellow senior Mackenzie Cole at the left side of the box, sending it in past Terrier goalie Shonte Campbell.
Nine minutes later, WCU extended its lead with a goal by junior forward Kelly Pannell, who accepted a pass from Madison Lee and Caitlyn Bradham at the top of the box and scored at 64:12. Western Carolina capped off its scoring on a set piece when Sara Robinson took a corner kick, finding Haven Leland at the left side of the box for the score. It was Leland's first career goal.
The win marked the first time since 2011 that Western Carolina has opened conference play with a win. The last time was a 2-1 victory at The Citadel on Sept. 23, 2011. The Catamounts’ last opening SoCon victory at home came in 2009 with a 2-0 win over former SoCon member Davidson.
Bradham's latest goal pushed her total to a team-leading three for the season.
Western Carolina closes out a three-game homestand at 2 p.m. Sunday, hosting reigning Southern Conference champion Furman.
Wofford will continue its road trip Sunday, travelling to Johnson City, Tenn., to take on the high-powered offense of ETSU. The match is slated for 4 p.m.
Furman 3, ETSU 0
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Junior Stephanie DeVita netted a pair of goals and senior India Robinson added two assists to power Furman to a 3-0 shutout of ETSU in the Southern Conference women’s soccer opener for both schools on Friday night at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
The win improved the Paladins to 7-2-0 overall and 1-0 in SoCon play, while the Buccaneers, in their first season back in the SoCon, dropped to 8-3-0 overall and 0-1 in the league.
DeVita, who leads the Paladins with seven goals and notched her team-leading fifth match-winning goal of 2014, put the Paladins on top at the 13:15 mark. Robinson found space in the right corner and served a cross to the near post, where DeVita headed past ETSU goalkeeper Jasmine Elliott.
In the 36th minute, Carlie Couch played the ball to the DeVita in the middle of the box and the Simpsonville, S.C., native took two touched in traffic before lining a shot into the back of the net for her second goal of the night. DeVita’s two-goal performance gave her 41 career goals as a Paladin and moved her into a tie with former Paladin Danielle Petro for fourth on Furman’s career goal-scoring ledger and sixth on the SoCon’s all-time goals list. With her 19th career game-winning goal, DeVita trails only Emily Turgeon (20) on the Paladins’ career list.
Less than 10 minutes after the restart, Furman capped the scoring on Jamie Alexander’s third tally of the season. Robinson served a cross into the box from the left side to the far post and the unmarked Alexander nodded a shot into the corner at 54:44.
Robinson’s two assists gave her 40 for her career and moved her into sole possession of fourth on the SoCon’s career assists chart.
Junior Rose Hull recorded four saves in goal to secure the Paladins’ fifth shutout of the season as Furman outshot ETSU 18-11 and compiled a 7-4 edge in shots on goal.
ETSU features the nation's leading goal scorer, Hannah Short, and leading assister, Jasmin Dutton; however, the Bucs were unable to find the back of the net Friday.
Furman returns to action on Sunday when it travels to Cullowhee, N.C., to face Western Carolina in a 2 p.m. SoCon showdown.
ETSU will be back in action Sunday as the Bucs continue Southern Conference competition, hosting Wofford at 4 p.m.
VMI 3, The Citadel 2
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Lauren Wandzel scored her first career goal with just over seven minutes to go, breaking a 2-2 tie and sending the VMI Keydets over The Citadel Bulldogs, 3-2, in Southern Conference women's soccer action Friday. The game was the first SoCon game in VMI women's soccer history.
After the teams had battled to a 2-2 tie through the first 82-plus minutes, VMI (2-7, 1-0 SoCon) earned a throw-in in Citadel's (4-7, 0-1) offensive zone. The toss went long and was tipped several times near the box. Wandzel then settled it and got off a shot that was blocked, but the rebound came right back to the freshman and she drilled it by Bulldog goalkeeper Naomi Carter for the eventual game-winner.
The Citadel held a 22-10 edge in shots and 10-4 edge in corner kicks, but Emily Marbury made seven saves to help preserve the Keydet margin of victory. The victory marked the first time since Oct. 2, 2009, that VMI had won its conference opener.
The homestanding Bulldogs started the game with an offensive push, forcing Marbury to make two saves in the first 5:22. They then struck in the 10th minute, when a high, arching shot by Mady Riegel from well outside the box found the top left corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead.
The Keydets responded less than five minutes later. Nicole Blixt found Emma Quirk just a handful of yards out, and Quirk put the ball past Carter for her second goal of the year and a 1-1 tie in the 14th minute.
The contest settled down a bit from there, with only one save being required by either club until the 34th minute, when Aaliyah Lyttle was turned aside by Carter. Marbury kept the score tied with a save of her own in the 38th minute and Carter responded with another stop at 40:49. That was the final shot on goal of the half, as the contest went to halftime deadlocked, 1-1.
VMI took the lead back less than two minutes into the second half. On a strange play that saw the ball go off multiple players and through the legs of several Keydets, Blixt kicked the loose ball by Carter for her second goal of the season and a 2-1 VMI lead at 46:45.
Marbury kept it that way at 49:45 and 52:45, but the Keydets committed a foul in the box in the 59th minute, giving Vanessa Aponte a penalty kick. The Citadel player pushed the try wide left, however, allowing the Keydets to maintain their one-goal lead.
The Bulldogs knotted the score in the 75th minute, however. Lea Raedle evaded the VMI defense and was spotted by Ana Mesa, who found her with a pass 20 yards out. Raedle's shot was good from distance into the far right side of the net for the goal and a 2-2 tie.
It was Wandzel who had the next shot on goal, a header that Carter saved, but neither team could get off a try on goal after that until the freshman put back her own rebound at 82:59 for one of the biggest regular-season goals in VMI women's soccer history.
The Citadel had one more try on goal in the waning moments, but Marbury stopped Raedle in the 85th minute to preserve the thrilling win in the back-and-forth contest.
The Keydets played without three regular starters due to injuries.
VMI will return to action Sunday as the Keydets travel to Macon, Ga., to take on the Mercer Bears. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
The Bulldogs complete a four-game homestand on Sunday at 2 p.m. when they host UNCG at WLI Field.
Mercer 1, UNCG 1 (2OT)
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer women’s soccer team tied UNCG, 1-1, in double overtime on Friday night to open Southern Conference play.
The Bears (5-4-1, 0-0-1 SoCon) took a 1-0 lead in the third minute off a free kick from Sarah Daane. The ball sailed into the top center of the net, uncontested. The goal marked Daane’s first of the season.
Mercer led for 82 minutes and looked poised to take a 1-0 win, until UNCG (4-4-3, 0-0-1 SoCon) scored in the 85th minute to tie the game. UNCG found the equalizer as junior Zoe Fishman made a strong run, crossing a pretty ball inside the box, where Candice Forbes placed a header into the back of the net.
Both teams had another chance to score before the end of regulation, but neither was able to find the back of the net.
The Bears outshot the Spartans 5-1 in both overtimes, but the score remained knotted at 1-1 for the extra 20 minutes.
Overall, Mercer outshot UNCG 21-12 and both teams tallied four corner kicks. Maggie Cropp spent all 110 minutes in goal for the Bears, notching five saves on the evening. Tess Patton recorded five shots and Washida Blackman and Lauren Gassie each added four to lead the way offensively for the Bears.
UNCG keeper Chloe Buehler finished the game with a season-high 13 saves in net.
Mercer will continue conference play on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 1 p.m. when it hosts VMI at Bear Field. UNCG takes on The Citadel on Sunday at 2 p.m. to finish its SoCon road trip.