Box Score Sept. 10, 2006
Final Stats
El Paso, Texas - Two freshmen combined for three goals as Western Carolina garnered its second victory of the season, defeating the Sam Houston State Bearkats, 4-2, Sunday morning at the Border Shootout. Freshman Nikki Lombardo put the Catamounts on the board first with her first career goal and classmate Bri Cunningham tallied her first collegiate points with two goals in the win.
Western claimed a share of the tournament title after going unbeaten in both matches, including Friday evening's 3-1 victory over Texas State. The Catamounts did not face the tournament host, UTEP, which also concluded the tournament undefeated joining WCU as an unbeaten team in the tournament.
After being held scoreless in each of the first three games this season, Western has lit the scoreboard for seven goals in its last two outings. The four goals on Sunday are the most by a Catamount team since scoring six in a 6-1 home win over Georgia Southern in the season finale of 2004 (10/31/04).
Lombardo put Western on top early, netting her first career points. Junior Lauren Atkinson served a cross into the center of the box where Lombardo gathered and one-timed it into the back of the cage for the 1-0 lead just 13 minutes into the game.
Sam Houston State evened the match at one inside the 28th minute as Mary MacGregor recorded her first of two goals, one-timing a bouncing ball in the box off a Bearkat free kick.
The Catamounts tallied back-to-back goals inside the final six minutes of the first half to surge ahead, 3-1, at intermission. Junior Heather Dittmer, who led the 2005 Catamounts with seven goals, tallied her first score of the season to push WCU back ahead in the 40th minute of the match. Sophomore Arlan Whittle crossed one ahead, beating the SHSU offside trap where Dittmer slipped through the defense and beat the Bearkat keeper with Whittle credited with the assist.
In the final minute of the first half, Cunningham scored her first career goal to provide the halftime margin. Cunningham redirected a rebound off a teammate's shot on goal into the net for the two-goal lead.
Out of the break, Sam Houston State closed the deficit to one, 3-2, as MacGregor tallied her second goal of the match. The margin would remain at one for the majority of the second half until the opportunistic Cunningham scored her second goal of the game, depositing one into the net after the shot ricochet off the cross bar and spun into the goal at the 82:27 mark in the second half.
Overall, Western applied a lot of pressure offensively, out shooting the Bearkats 16-to-7 including eight shots in each half. Also a telling sign was that the Catamounts were whistled off sides eight trying to push offensively. WCU finished with a 7-0 edge in corner kick opportunities, as well.
Atkinson, who ranks second on the team with three points on the year, added to her team-lead in shots with a team-high three on Sunday. Cunningham, Leah Daino, and freshman forward, Rachael Shomper each recorded two shots as 11 Catamounts fired towards the Bearkat goal.
Senior goalkeeper Alesha Row earned her second win of the season only having to make one save on seven Sam Houston State shots.
The Catamounts conclude the three-game, thousand-mile road swing by visiting the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, Neb., on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 4:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm ET.
