Sept. 1, 2006

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Despite out shooting visiting East Carolina 9-to-5 on Friday night, the Western Carolina Catamounts could not take advantage of scoring opportunities and dropped a 2-0 decision to the Pirates at the rain-soaked Catamount Athletic Complex.

The win for ECU was their second-in-a-row after falling in overtime in their season opener. It also marked the second-consecutive 2-0 victory over WCU, coupled with last year's match in Greenville.

At the 15:07 mark of the first half, East Carolina took advantage of fresh legs to notch the first goal of the match. Freshman Kami York-Feirn entered the match and less than two minutes later scored her first goal of the season for her third seasonal point. York-Feirn's classmate, Jessica Swanson secured a loose ball just outside the goal box and served it ahead. The Catamount defense attempted to screen York-Feirn away from the ball to allow goalkeeper, Alesha Row, to make a play, but the wet grass slowed the ball and York-Feirn was able to tap it into the lower left corner of the net.

Western (0-3-0) turned up the wick in the second half with multiple scoring opportunities but still could not manage the first goal of the season. In the 56th minute, junior Heather Dittmer uncorked WCU's best scoring chance of the night as her shot from 13 yards out bounded off the cross bar. Three minutes later, an offsides call negated an odd man rush for Western, with a free kick from 20 yards out by junior Leah Daino inside the 61st minute sailed just out of reach of the WCU offense making a run on the Pirate cage.

East Carolina (2-1-0), though, put the game out of reach at the 83:28 mark when sophomore Blair Hefner centered a pass that slipped behind the WCU defense and freshman Sarah Kirkley scored on a shot from the penalty line.

Row, who suffered her third defeat of the season in goal for the Catamounts, tallied three saves in the loss, all coming in the second half. Offensively, juniors Melissa Berry and Bailey Culp led the team with two shots as nine different Cats recorded offerings. ECU's keeper, Amber Campbell, only had to make one save to secure her second victory of '06.

Western Carolina returns to action next Friday, Sept. 8, in El Paso, Texas in the Border Shootout. The Catamounts will face Texas State in one week and will conclude tournament play against Sam Houston State on Sunday, Sept. 10. The western road swing also includes a match at Nebraska, who is ranked in the Soccer Buzz Central region top 10.