Samford 2, Belmont 0
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University soccer team extended its winning streak to three consecutive matches Friday as the Bulldogs registered a decisive 2-0 home victory against the Belmont Bruins in a key nonconference contest held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
On Sunday at 1 p.m., the Bulldogs will put their three-match winning streak on the line as they play host to the No. 3-ranked Virginia Cavaliers in what is widely considered to be the biggest home match in school history.
Samford (3-2-0) improved its all-time record against Belmont (2-1-1) to 10-1 on Friday. The Bulldogs also registered their first shutout victory of the 2014 campaign as true freshman standout goalkeeper Anna Maddox earned four key saves in the win.
Maddox has only allowed seven goals this season, two of which came on the road against No. 14-ranked South Carolina.
In Friday’s contest, Maddox made all four of her stops in the second half as Belmont doubled up its offensive pressure down by two goals.
Samford’s Amanda Abbott scored the game-winning goal of Friday’s match in the 36th minute of action. On the decisive score, sophomore Anna Allen sent a cross deep into the box from right to left. On the pass, a Bruins’ defender deflected the cross and the ball caromed directly to Abbott’s left side.
Abbott then gathered for a shot and rifled the ball past Belmont’s goalkeeper Megan Byrd into the left corner of the net from 10 yards out. The goal was Abbott’s first of the 2014 campaign and gave Samford its early 1-0 advantage.
Allen was awarded her first assist of the season on the play.
Samford took its 1-0 lead into the half and outshot the Bruins, 8-1, in the opening 45 minutes of action.
Just 2:02 into the second stanza, the Bulldogs’ Jermaine Seoposenwe gave her squad its 2-0 advantage by firing home a deep goal from 30 yards out on the right flank.
Seoposenwe has already scored two goals this season and has played a key role in the Bulldogs’ offensive attack. Additionally, Seoposenwe has added an assist and rattled off five shots on goal this year. On her goal in the 48th minute that gave Samford its final 2-0 advantage, sophomore Olivia Cole earned an assist on the play.
Belmont outshot Samford, 9-5, in the second half of action Friday, but the Bulldogs’ Maddox came up big in goal. The final shot total of the match proved to be Samford 13, Belmont 10.
Furman 4, Presbyterian 1
CLINTON, S.C. – Furman netted a season-high four goals, including two from junior Jamie Alexander, to cruise past Presbyterian, 4-1, in women’s soccer action on Friday night at Martin Stadium.
The victory pushed the Paladins to 3-1-0 on the season, while the Blue Hose dipped to 1-2-0.
Junior Stephanie DeVita opened the scoring in the 24th minute with her team-best third goal of the season. The Simpsonville, S.C., product pounced on a loose ball in the box and fired a shot that took a deflection before settling in the back of the net at the 23:39 mark.
Presbyterian answered quickly at the 26:01 mark. Keri O’Neill’s shot was stopped by Furman goalkeeper Rose Hull, but Sarah Yoss found the back of the net on the rebound to tie the match at 1-1.
Less than three minutes later, the Paladins’ Kristen Baker tallied her first goal of the 2014 campaign on an assist from India Robinson to put Furman in front for good.
Alexander put the match out of reach in the second half with her first two goals of the season. In the 54th minute, she received a pass from Hannah Stanifer and lined a shot past PC goalkeeper Sydney Fontenot from the top of the box to up the lead to 3-1. Alexander capped the scoring with 4:56 left in regulation by dribbling into the box and firing a shot to the right corner for the final 4-1 margin.
Furman outshot the Blue Hose 20-10 and compiled an 11-6 edge in shots on goal.
Hull, one of three Furman keepers to see action on the night, stopped four shots in 68 minutes of work to earn the win. Fontenot saved seven shots in a losing effort for PC.
Furman returns to action on Sunday when it takes on USC Upstate at 2 p.m. in Spartanburg, S.C.
UNCG 2, Indiana State 2 (2OT)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After 110 minutes, the UNCG women’s soccer team came away with a tough 2-2 draw against Indiana State on Friday night at the Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
UNCG (2-2-1) took a season-high 23 shots with 11 on goal in the game against Indiana State. The Sycamores are 1-2-2 with the draw.
Junior Chesney White led the Spartans with two goals and eight shots in the game. Sophomore Katelyn Mountjoy had five shots in the game.
The Spartans had two shots in the second overtime, holding Indiana State to just one shot in the final frame.
In the first overtime, Indiana State nearly won the game after Natalie Vaught fired a shot that just hit the right corner post to keep the game tied. Just two minutes later, Maddie Orf put a header shot on goal, but the UNCG defense was able to clear it off the line.
In the 99th minute, White had a header shot on frame but Indiana State goalkeeper Brittany San Roman made the save.
The Sycamores took a 2-1 lead in the 50th minute after Natalie Vaught scored her first goal of the season. Vaught fired a shot high into the back of the net just five minutes into the second half.
Forty-two seconds later, White tied the game at 2-2 with her second goal of the game and third of the season. White dribbled through a defender and riffled a perfect shot near the left post past the keeper.
The teams finished regulation tied 2-2 with the Spartans taking 19 shots to just 10 for Indiana State.
In the first half, the Spartans took an early 1-0 lead after White scored her second goal of the season in the 24th minute. Sophomore Rebecca Burrows played a cross into White, who finished over the keeper.
Seven minutes later, junior Katherine Rodriguez had a breakaway with the Indiana State keeper, but San Roman made the save to keep the score 1-0.
In the 34th minute, the Sycamores found the equalizer after Kate Johnson scored her third goal of the season off a breakaway.
UNCG had multiple chances in the half but couldn’t regain the lead after San Roman made seven saves to keep the Spartans off the scoreboard.
The Blue and Gold finished the first half with 13 shots and seven corners. With only two minutes left in the half, UNCG got three straight corner kicks and freshman Hannah Hoeksema had an opportunity inside the box, but San Roman stopped her attempt.
UNCG will face No. 13 West Virginia on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium to conclude the WVU 90 Minute Classic.
Richmond 2, The Citadel 1 (OT)
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Richmond scored late in regulation and early in overtime to hand The Citadel a 2-1 defeat in women's soccer action Friday at WLI Field.
The Bulldogs (3-2) took a 1-0 lead in the 56th minute on a goal by Ana Mesa, and it appeared it would be enough to give The Citadel its third straight win and fourth in as many home games this season.
But the Spiders (2-2) tied it with just over three minutes left in the second half and put in the game winner 4:28 into the extra session to negate an otherwise outstanding performance by Bulldog goalkeeper Naomi Carter.
Carter made 11 saves, several of the acrobatic variety, to keep The Citadel in the contest despite being outshot 23-8. She stopped seven of Richmond's 12 shots in the first half to keep the game scoreless at the break.
The Bulldogs broke through when Mesa gained control of a loose ball at the top of the box and fired a hard shot past Spider netminder Emily Kelly for her second goal of the year. Richmond continued to have the better of the scoring chances after that but was thwarted by Carter and The Citadel defense.
The Spiders had seven corner kicks in the game but none were more devastating to The Citadel than the ones that resulted in the two Richmond goals. With just 3:17 left before the end of the second half, Shannon Colligan dropped a corner onto the head of Darian Podmajersky, who put it past Carter to even the match.
The same combination created the winning goal for Richmond, with Podmajersky again scoring off a corner by Colligan.
The Bulldogs conclude their four-game homestand on Sunday at 1 p.m. against North Florida.
Georgia Southern 2, Mercer 0
STATESBORO, Ga. – The Mercer women’s soccer team fell to Georgia Southern, 2-0, after a gritty battle on Friday night at Eagle Field.
Prior to the start of the match, there was a lightning delay for an hour and 15 minutes. However, once the match got started, it was physical from start to finish and included 36 fouls and six yellow cards.
The Bears (2-3) had several opportunities to score, but the nearest miss occurred when Washida Blackman hit the post in the 60th minute. The Eagles (4-1) managed to find the back of the net with their first two shots on goal, both of which came from Jennifer Wittick.
Haleigh Svede led the attack for Mercer, firing off three shots, including two on goal. Four additional Bears recorded multiple shots, and Mercer led Georgia Southern 16-10 in shots.
Goalkeepers Maggie Cropp and Cristina Mursuli split time between the pipes and Mursuli made two saves in the second half. Georgia Southern’s goalie, Katie Merson, made eight saves against the Bears.
Mercer returns to Macon to host Houston on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Lipscomb 1, Western Carolina 0 (2OT)
NASHVILLE – Western Carolina fell 1-0 to Lipscomb in double overtime Friday at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex.
The Bison's Brittany Rupple scored the golden goal at the 102:46 mark. Rupple took a shot from 25 yards out on an assist by Baylee Linnell for the score.
This was Western Carolina's third straight double-overtime game, as the Catamounts earned ties in the previous two contests. This is also the third time this season the Catamounts (0-2-3) have been shut out.
Western Carolina had two great looks at the goal in the first overtime, both by senior forward Caitlyn Bradham. In the 96th minute, Bradham had a shot that was blocked and then quickly took a second shot that was saved by Lipscomb goalkeeper Anna Buhigas.
Catamount goalkeeper Carly Tinstman took the loss and fell to 0-1-3. Lipscomb goalie Buhigas picked up the win as the team improved to 3-2-1.
Western Carolina continues its road swing through the state of Tennessee, facing Tennessee Tech at 2 p.m. Sunday in Cookeville.