Friday, October 7
Hat Trick Leads Coastal to Win over ULM
Boone, N.C. - Despite this weekend's events being moved due to threatening weather associated with Hurricane Matthew, the Coastal Carolina women's soccer team entered the Friday's match undaunted as freshman Montanna Hill recorded a hat-trick to lead the Chanticleers to a 4-0 victory over Louisiana-Monroe. The match was moved to at Appalachian State's Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex in Boone, N.C., the site of Sunday's Coastal Carolina-Little Rock contest.
With the win, Coastal Carolina improved to 8-4-1, 5-1 in the Sun Belt, while Louisiana-Monroe fell to a 6-7-1 (3-3).
Hill finished the game with three shots on goal, netting all three for the hat-trick in just under 12 minutes of action. The last Chanticleer to score a hat-trick was Kayla Christian, who netted three last year versus UAB. Christian also scored Coastal's first goal Friday to account for CCU's other tally.
The match started slowly for both sides with each team recording only one shot apiece throughout the first 14 minutes.
In the 15th minute, Christian gave the Chanticleer offense the spark it needed as the forward volleyed one home for the 1-0 lead. Daniella Famili drove the ball down the left flank to cross the ball toward the back post to a waiting Christian, who placed it in the net with ease.
Continuing to press the Warhawks back line, Coastal generated three back-to-back scoring opportunities but all went just wide of the goal frame.
Within 31 seconds of being substituted into the match, Hill recorded her first goal in the 34th minute. The Chanticleers earned a corner kick with Brook Horist on the ball. Horist sent the ball into the box to find the head of Hill, who directed it on frame.
The Chanticleers took advantage of another corner kick opportunity just three minutes later. Senior Ellie Taylor lined up on the ball to send it into the mix. Hill powered herself over the crowd to make the score 3-0 in the 37th minute.
Hill completed her trio of goals in the 42nd minute for the 4-0 lead. Heston Neal gained control of the ball in the middle of the pitch then sent a cross into the box. Kylie Bostick first controlled it with her chest to set up Hill, who netted it with confidence.
The Chanticleers held firm to its 4-0 lead throughout the second half allowing only three shot attempts. None of which were threatening.
Senior Becca Austin (6-3-1) notched her third consecutive victory in goal for the Chants. Austin split time with Morgan Divine who complete the shutout in the second half.
PANTHERS EDGE EAGLES, SHANK SCORES TWICE
ATLANTA- The Georgia State women’s soccer team defeated rival Georgia Southern 2-1 on Friday night, earning the first point for the Panthers in the annual rivalry series. Freshman Brooke Shank scored both GSU goals, upping her total to three this season.
The Panthers improved to 5-3-5 overall (2-1-2 Sun Belt), while the Eagles fell to 5-8-1 overall (2-5-0 Sun Belt). Georgia State has four matches remaining and are currently tied for fourth in the Sun Belt standings. The top eight teams qualify for the Sun Belt Championship next month.
Shank scored quickly in the first half, putting the Panthers up 1-0 at the nine minute mark. She put her second goal in the net with 20 minutes left in the match, scoring on a deflection off the Georgia Southern keeper.
The Panthers shut out the Eagles in the first half, but a late goal from Sarah Price with seven minutes left in the match put the score at 2-1.
GSU had a great defensive effort, holding Georgia Southern to just four shots during the match. The Panthers took 10 shots against the Eagles, with Shank recording seven. Alexis Thomas, Callie O’Connor, and Erin Rhodes also recorded shots.
“I’ve very happy to see the girls get the win tonight, especially at home,” said head coach Ed Joyce. “We’re really happy with Brooke Shank’s performance and scoring both goals. Now we’re looking forward to turning around and doing it again on Sunday.”
The Panthers will return to the field Sunday afternoon to host UL Monroe in Panthersville. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. against the Warhawks. Admission is free to the GSU Soccer Complex.
Shields' Overtime Strike Completes Comeback Win
BOONE, N.C. – The rain was coming down all afternoon, but the sun eventually shone on the Little Rock soccer team as they completed a comeback for a 3-2 overtime victory at Appalachian State on Friday.
Shannon Shields scored the game-winning goal – her first goal of the season – with just 1:09 remaining on the stadium clock in the second overtime. The Trojans (8-6-0, 3-3-0 Sun Belt) celebrated on the home turf of the Mountaineers (6-7-2, 1-4-2) as a mere 69 seconds separated the teams from a 2-2 draw.
Trailing 2-0 after 30 minutes, the Trojans got a goal 11 minutes later from Doro Greulich to cut the Mountaineers' lead to 2-1. Twenty-one minutes into the second half, the Trojans tied the contest at 2-2 with a strike from Arola Aparicio.
Neither team was able to break the tie for the final 24 minutes of regulation nor the first 19 minutes of overtime until Shields capped the comeback.
Little Rock committed a foul near midfield with about 1:30 left on the clock, and Appalachian State's midfielder opted to restart the play quickly. She passed the ball right to a Trojan, who knocked the ball forward to Quin Wilkes. Wilkes settled the ball, looked up and found a streaking Shields. The pass was weighted perfectly, and Shields ran past two defenders as she lined up a shot for the bottom right corner of the net.
Trailing 2-0, Little Rock got back into the contest in the 41st minute when Greulich scored her second goal of the season and one of the prettiest goals of the year for the Trojans. With the ball bouncing in front of her nearly 30 yards from goal, Greulich ripped a curving shot into the left side of the net that caught the Mountaineers' keeper by surprise.
The Trojans tallied the equalizer in the 66th minute as Arola Aparicio got her second goal of the year. Streaking into a dangerous area, Aparicio received an on-target long pass from Shannon Shields. Aparicio did not miss her chance, striking the ball into the left side of the net to tie the game at 2-2.
Sara Small made five saves including a crucial stop just one minute into the first overtime period. The Mountaineers' Sam Steyl made nine saves.
Little Rock dominated in total shots on the stat sheet, taking 28 to Appalachian State's 13. The Trojans also put 12 shots on goal compared to the Mountaineers' seven. App, however, did lead the Trojans 8-1 on corner kicks.
Little Rock will stay in Boone for a Sunday morning game against Coastal Carolina. The game – moved from South Carolina to North Carolina because of Hurricane Matthew – is scheduled for 11 a.m. central.
Troy Upsets South Alabama, 1-0
MOBILE, Alabama – It's the game Troy soccer players have circled on their schedule each year, but since 2013 the Trojans have fallen short of defeated their in-state rival. Troy defeated South Alabama, 1-0, at The Cage on Friday. It was the Jaguars' first loss against a Sun Belt Conference opponent in 33 matches.
Kiersten Edlund scored the game's only goal in the 7th minute when South Alabama failed to clear the ball from the penalty area, where it fell to the freshman who rifled it home for her first career goal.
Mikki Lewis saved five shots in the game. Troy out-shot the Jaguars 13-6.
QUOTABLE
"I couldn't be more proud of our group after tonight's game," head coach Jason Hamilton said. "It's been a really tough year so far in conference for us. We have played well in every game, but have not gotten the results to show. South Alabama is a very good team who has been dominant the past few years in the conference. I'm not sure there were too many out there who thought we would win that game on the road."
"We had a couple of very good looks to start the game and Kiersten was able to put one in the back of the net with a fantastic finish. Defensively, it was a complete team effort to earn that shutout they really worked their tails off."
STAT OF THE GAME
Troy held two-time All-Sun Belt and 2013 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year Charde Hannah to just one shot in the game.
UP NEXT
Troy returns home to face Coastal Carolina next Friday and Texas State on Sunday for senior day.
A-State Defeats UL Lafayette, 1-0
LAFAYETTE, La. (10/7/16) – The Arkansas State women’s soccer team earned three crucial points in its quest to make the Sun Belt Conference tournament with a 1-0 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette Friday evening at the Ragin’ Cajuns Soccer Complex.
A-State (4-6-3, 2-4-1 SBC) entered the match two points behind Georgia Southern, Georgia State and Little Rock, who are all tied for the final spot in the conference tournament. However, with the win the Red Wolves moved to within a point of the final spot after Troy moved into the final spot with an upset victory over South Alabama.
“It was extremely critical that we came away with points and to get three puts in a really good position,” A-State head coach Brian Dooley said. “We got the tie at Troy earlier in the year and that was a hard fought point. Tonight I thought we played a really good game in both halves, stayed with the game plan and stood up for one another when mistakes were made so they did not become bigger mistakes.”
The only goal of the match came off the foot of Taylor Schneider in the 29th minute. Schneider, who now leads the Red Wolves with three goals on the year, took a free kick from Tayler Carter and headed the ball forward to the net, but the shot deflected off a Ragin’ Cajuns defender and fell back to Schneider who chipped the ball into the top-right corner of the net for the goal.
“Schneider has the knack for using her body and fighting her way through a crowd,” Dooley said. “Taylor (Carter) has been very dangerous on free kicks this season and that was a situation where a perfectly placed kick gave us an excellent scoring chance and we were able to convert.”
Arkansas State had several scoring opportunities throughout the night, including a header by Bailey Reed in the 58th minute that was just wide of the net. Reed led her team with four shots on the night.
Lindsey Brochu helped set the offensive tone for the Red Wolves early in the match with a shot on goal from the left side that curved back toward the net and nearly snuck by the Ragin’ Cajuns goalkeeper.
Louisiana-Lafayette outshot Arkansas State 12-9 on the night, but the Red Wolves landed six of their attempts on targets compared to the Ragin’ Cajuns five. A-State also committed just two fouls, while UL was whistled for 10, including one that setup the free kick from Carter.
Kelsey Ponder continued her dominate play to the season and logged her third clean sheet of the year. She made five saves, including a huge save in the 19th minute in a one-on-one situation with Erika Sierra.
Ponder held her line as Sierra approached was able to deflect the ball out of a dangerous position to keep the Ragin’ Cajuns from snagging an early lead.
A-State concludes its final road trip of the regular Sunday afternoon at Texas State. Kickoff against the Bobcats is set for Noon.