Sept. 23, 2007

Final Stats

Charlotte, N.C. - The Western Carolina women's soccer team, done in by a sloppy first half of play, fell to the Charlotte Lady 49ers 2-0 at Transamerica Field Sunday afternoon. Both Charlotte (5-3-0) goals were scored in the first frame.

The Lady 49ers opened the scoring in the 16th minute of play when forward Whitney Weinraub headed a shot in from the left side, just past the outstretched hand of Western goalkeeper Caitlin Williams, for the game's first goal. With nine minutes remaining in the half, Charlotte forward Ashley Rex scored her first goal of the season, to give the 49ers the winning margin.

Western Carolina (5-4-0) could not find any offense in the first half, which was characterized by a level of play that did not please Coach Tammy DeCesare. As a result, in the second half, the Catamounts came out with a revamped lineup in hopes of finding a spark, which Coach DeCesare said is what happened.

"We played some players that haven't gotten a chance to play," she said. "Frankly, those players should have been playing in the first half. We've got a lot of talent on this team, and when we went to the bench, the responded unbelievably today."

The pace of the game was mired in a back and forth struggle between the teams that kept much of the action in the middle part of the field. Aside from the two early goals, neither side was able to break through the last line of defense and give the goalkeepers much of a challenge. The defensive backfield for both teams held their own more than admirably, and it showed, with no goals being scored and only 8 shots taken between the two teams.

Once again, a bright spot for the Catamounts was their ability to shut down the opposition's offense in the second half. They did not allow a goal in the last 45 minutes for the second straight game, and sixth time in the nine games this season. Coach attributes this to the team's ability to overpower the other side with their fitness and stamina.

"I think they realize that they are so much more fit than the opponents we play," she said. "They know that when push comes to shove, and the game wanes on, and fatigue sets in, and fatigue leads to break downs, they know they'll always be the ones on top."

The Catamounts will wrap up their six game road trip, and open Southern Conference play Thursday when they travel to Greenville, S.C. to take on the Lady Paladins of Furman University. They will return to the friendly confines of the Catamount Athletic Complex the following Sunday when UNC Greensboro comes to town. Game time for the UNCG game is set for 2:00 p.m.