Sept. 17, 2005

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Senior Emily Pierce netted her second goal of the season as Western Carolina held on to defeat the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, 1-0, in the first game of the Furman Select Kickoff Classic Friday evening in Greenville, S.C.

Just under 20 minutes into the match, Pierce, a fourth-year defender from Chattanooga, Tenn., capitalized on a scrum in front of the Colonels net which resulted from a corner kick by freshman Arlan Whittle, who was credited with the assist. Eastern Kentucky's goalkeeper Christina Graul attempted to punch Whittle's offering out of the scoring box, but Pierce managed to find the back of the net with a quick shot.

Pierce's two goals thus far this year equal her career total from her first three seasons in the purple and gold. According to records, Pierce has tallied the most goals for a Catamount defender in the program's seven-year history.

In all on Friday, the Catamounts (6-1-0) dominated the offense in the match, out shooting EKU's first-year program 19-2 and holding a 3-0 advantage in corner kick opportunities. Graul managed a total of four saves on the evening, preventing Western from adding any insurance goals, while her counterpart, Western's Alesha Row, earned her third-consecutive shutout, and fourth perfect match of the 2005 season. With the performance, Row closes to within half a shutout of taking over second all-time on the WCU career list.

Western returns to action on Sunday at Noon as the Catamounts face the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs on day two of the Furman Select Kickoff Classic. The Catamounts are 2-0-0 all-time versus the Atlantic Sun-member, including a double-overtime win in Boiling Springs in 2001 and a 1-0 shutout in Cullowhee last season.