VMI 3, UNC Asheville 1
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Alex Frank put the VMI Keydets ahead to stay in the 17th minute, and Sydnie Bligh and Olivia Cotton added goals later in the match as the VMI Keydets defeated the UNC Asheville Bulldogs, 3-1, in nonconference women's soccer action Friday at the Border Classic round-robin tournament, hosted by Gardner-Webb.
Frank got the Keydets (2-4) on the board at the 16:11 mark, when Blake Cashin put a corner kick into the box. A Keniya Lee shot was saved, but off an ensuing cross, the ball was deflected outside to Frank. She put it past Asheville (4-2) keeper Madeline Getz for her first career goal and a lead the Keydets would not surrender.
Bligh added on less than three minutes later, and after an Asheville goal in the 31st minute, Cotton provided insurance at 68:06 to account for the final margin.
After the Keydets jumped ahead courtesy of Frank, the next serious threat doubled their lead. Cashin put a shot in that was deflected by Getz, but the loose ball caromed to Bligh for an open shot and a goal. Bligh's fifth goal of the year made it 2-0, Keydets.
Asheville cut the margin in half in the 31st minute on an Emma Houser goal, and that was the score at halftime. Cotton, however, put the game out of reach midway through the second half. Kayla Blake played a cross to the true freshman, who headed the ball into the right corner for a 3-1 Keydet lead that would account for the final margin.
For the match, Asheville finished with a 22-9 edge in shots, but held just an 8-7 advantage in tries on goal. VMI had all four of the day's corner kicks. Darien Dunham had seven saves for the Keydets, while Getz posted three saves for the Bulldogs.
VMI will return to action Sunday, when the Keydets take on the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs at 3 p.m.
Furman 3, Kennesaw State 0
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Furman women’s soccer team claimed its third consecutive victory and fourth in its last five matches with a 3-0 shutout of Kennesaw State in nonconference action on Seagraves Field at Stone Stadium on Friday night.
The win improved the Paladins to 5-2-0 on the season, while the Owls dipped to 3-3-1.
Carlie Couch, Jamie Alexander and Molly Dwyer each netted a goal during a stretch of under 33 minutes in the middle of the match as Furman improved to 4-1-0 at home this season.
Sophomore Sanon Williams created Furman’s go-ahead score in the 23rd minute to earn her second assist of the year. Williams threaded a pass through the KSU defense down the left side and Couch beat everyone to the ball before firing a shot past the charging keeper at 22:46 for her first score of the campaign.
Less than four minutes into the second half, Dwyer rounded the defense on the left side of the box and Furman was awarded a penalty kick when the sophomore was pushed from behind. Alexander stepped up and converted from the spot for her second goal of 2015.
Dwyer capped the scoring with a goal of her own at the 55:42 mark. A long cross from the left wing to the far side of the box was misplayed by a KSU defender and Dwyer pounced on the loose ball before finding the back of the net.
Furman senior Maggie Grisell was not forced to make a save in 70:16 in goal. She picked up the victory to improve to 4-0-0 on the season. Freshman Allie Cutler stopped one shot as the Paladins became the first team this season to shut out the Owls.
Furman continues the homestand on Sunday when it hosts Presbyterian at 2 p.m. The match will be streamed for free on the SoCon Digital Network.
No. 15 Duke 2, Samford 1 (2OT)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Lightning delayed Friday’s match by an hour and 44 minutes, but it proved to be a late strike from No. 15-ranked Duke’s Ashton Miller that ended the wet, rainy contest in the fourth minute of double overtime against Samford, as the Blue Devils escaped the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium with a 2-1 win.
Just minutes into the second overtime period, Duke (5-1-1) held possession on Samford’s half of the field and earned a throw-in on the far side of the pitch.
The Blue Devils’ Kara Wilson collected the inbounds throw and touched a quick pass over to Miller in the middle of the field. Miller then sprinted to her left, stopped on a dime and rifled a shot back to her right from 25 yards out.
Duke outshot Samford, 23-8, in the matchup, but the Bulldogs dictated the pace of play for a majority of the game. Just 14 minutes into the match, Samford’s Hallie Georgi scored her first goal of the season to give the Bulldogs an early 1-0 advantage.
The Blue Devils answered in the 30th minute as Wilson equalized the match at 1-1 with her first score of the season. Freshman Taylor Racioppi started the play with a crossing pass that Wilson headed in for the tally.
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs play host to the Georgia Bulldogs in another highly anticipated nonconference matchup.
Western Kentucky 1, Mercer 0 (2OT)
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University women's soccer team nearly recorded its third consecutive 0-0 tie, but a goal by Western Kentucky with under a minute remaining led to a 1-0 loss for the Bears on Friday night.
Western Kentucky scored with 26 seconds left in the second overtime period to win, 1-0. Hannah Chua broke away from the crowd and sent the ball to the bottom right corner of the net, just shy of Mercer's Maggie Cropp's hands as she dove toward the ball.
Jamilah Tejan led the Bears offense in the match, notching a team-high four shots, including one on goal.
Mercer led Western Kentucky in corner kicks, 7-1. The Bears had a couple of good chances off a pair of late corner kicks but couldn't find the back of the net.
The Bears played their third consecutive double-overtime game, and came 26 seconds shy of recording a third straight scoreless tie.
Cropp made three saves on the night before allowing the lone goal in three games.
Mercer moved to 1-4-2 on the season and Western Kentucky improved to 3-2-1.
The Bears will continue their homestand, hosting UAB on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. at Bear Field.
Charleston Southern 1, The Citadel 0
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel fell to crosstown rival Charleston Southern 1-0 on Friday evening.
Erica Gazzini scored the lone goal of the game for Charleston Southern (2-1-1) in the 33rd minute of the first half. The Citadel (0-7) almost evened things up on a shot that ricocheted off the crossbar by Emilie Valenciano with five seconds remaining in the first half.
Sam Millspaugh started in the net for the Bulldogs and recorded five saves. Abby Koger took over to start the second half and recorded four saves while allowing no goals.
Despite having 16 shots, The Citadel was unable to find the back of the net and even the score. Katherine Arroyo and Valenciano led the Bulldogs in shots. Kim Maldonado, Ana Da Costa, Ray Brown and Brogan Felga recorded one shot each.
The Bulldogs return to action on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. against Francis Marion.
Marshall 2, ETSU 1
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – On Friday night, the ETSU women’s soccer team played the final game of its midseason five-game homestand and was defeated by Marshall, 2-1 at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
In a tightly contested first half, ETSU broke through in the 42nd minute when junior Simona Koren headed in her first goal of the season with the assist from fellow junior Molly Collinson. Collinson executed a perfect corner kick that went to the right corner of the net, where Koren out-jumped two Marshall defenders to give ETSU a 1-0 lead at halftime.
The lead didn’t last long as Marshall scored three minutes into the second half off a corner kick. Senior defender Jenna Dubs earned the assist, rocketing a corner kick into the middle of the box, where sophomore Katie Suchodolski put the ball in the back of the net, tying the game up.
Marshall took the lead halfway through the second half when junior forward Sydney Arnold took a shot from the top of the box that sailed past the ETSU defense, giving the Thundering Herd the 2-1 lead. Freshman forward Ashley Seltzer had the assist.
The Blue & Gold will be back in action with the first of four straight road games on Tuesday, Sept. 15, when they travel to Big South conference member Winthrop. Match is set for 7 p.m.
East Carolina 1, Western Carolina 0 (2OT)
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's soccer dropped a 1-0 decision in double overtime to East Carolina on Friday at James Stewart Soccer Stadium.
Shots were a premium for both teams for most of the match as the two teams combined for 19 shots, 12 for ECU and seven for WCU. However, it was the Pirates’ last shot, in the 108th minute, that mattered the most. Courtney Cash scored for ECU off an assist by Lana Splitler when Cash tapped loose a ball past WCU goalie Carly Tinstman.
WCU senior Kelly Pannell had two of the Catamounts' seven shots.
Western Carolina was shut out for the third time this season. Western Carolina has scored one goal over the last three games.
The 1-0 loss to ECU is the third straight game against the Pirates WCU has lost by one goal.
Western Carolina continues its road swing with a pair of games at the Lipscomb Tournament next week. The Catamounts face UT Martin at 6 p.m. Sept. 17 and host Lipscomb at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 19.
Gardner-Webb 2, Chattanooga 1
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s soccer team fell 2-1 Friday night at Gardner-Webb in nonconference action.
After a weather delay lasting more than two hours, Gardner-Webb’s Shelby Hooe scored the first of her two goals in the eighth minute, getting past Chattanooga’s keeper Katie Emig to make it 1-0. That score would stand at intermission.
Midway through the second half, Hooe found the net on a cross attempt from 25 yards out that would turn out to be the game-winner.
Senior Skylar Brewer scored her second goal of the season and cut the Bulldogs lead to 2-1 in the 77th minute, but it wouldn’t be enough. Brewer got her second look at the goal in the 86th minute but came up short as the Bulldog keeper made the save.
Chattanooga was outshot 24-8, but Chattanooga managed six shots on goal. Emig tallied eight saves and Keely Brown, GWU’s keeper, had four saves on the night.
The Mocs will take on UNC Asheville on Sunday at noon in Boiling Springs, N.C.