Box Score Oct. 30, 2008
Final Stats
Boone, N.C. -
Junior forward Bri Cunningham scored two of Western Carolina's three second half goals as the Catamounts wrapped up the regular season with a 3-2, come-from-behind victory over rival, Appalachian State, Thursday night at the Appalachian Soccer Stadium. Sophomore Kellie Oberholtzer added the Catamounts other goal in the win, its fourth-straight over the Mountaineers to improve to 8-2 all-time against ASU.
WCU's school-record ninth Southern Conference regular season victory propelled the Catamounts to a second-place regular season finish, it's best since winning eight matches and a share of the 2001 conference championship.
Western Carolina (12-7-0, 9-2-0 SoCon) will host seventh-seeded Elon (8-8-2, 4-6-1 SoCon) on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 4:00 pm at the Catamount Athletic Complex in the first round of the 2008 SoCon Women's Soccer Championship, the program's first-ever home opening round match. WCU downed the Phoenix, 2-1, in overtime on a Cunningham game-winner under four minutes into the extra session.
"I was very impressed with our poise and mentality in the second half, scoring three goals to rally against a very energized and quality Appalachian State team," said head coach Tammy DeCesare. "Winning on the road like we did tonight will help us build positive momentum as we head into Sunday's opening round conference tournament match at home."
Appalachian State (7-9-2 3-7-1 SoCon) scored a mere 25 seconds into the match to take an early, 1-0, advantage it would hold through intermission. The Mountaineers' Paige Morrow recorded her first goal of the season, receiving a pass from Katy Dodd and sliding the ball past Catamount keeper, Caitlin Williams, from the right corner of the 18-yard box.
Williams, who picked up her 12th win on the season, was again tested two additional times in the opening 45 minutes of play, making a point-blank save on ASU's Jordan Horvath while Caroline Lowe's offering sailed high and hit the cross bar. But the Liberty, S.C., native held strong to keep it a one-goal difference into the break.
Out of the halftime locker room, Cunningham notched her fourth goal of the season to tie the game at one two minutes into the second half. A Catamount cross ricocheted off a Mountaineer defender where the Cary, N.C., native corralled the ball and found the back of the net to pull even, 1-1.
Twenty minutes later, the Catamounts took their first lead of the match as Oberholtzer finished off a free kick by junior Jenny Matteson that slipped through Appalachian goalkeeper, Caroline Clarke's, hands and across the goal line.
However, the Mountaineers answered with time dwindling, pushing across the tying marker in the 74th minute. Casey Cleary recorded her fifth goal of the season on a free kick that sailed over Williams' head into the net to tie the match, 2-2, with Dodd picking up her second point of the night on the assist.
Western Carolina would not be denied, though, scoring the game-winning goal with just 12 minutes remaining in the contest. Cunningham tallied her fourth goal in her last six matches - and fifth of the season - as she received a pass from classmate Rachael Shomper in the middle of the box and fired the ball into the lower corner of the cage to beat the keeper on the game-winner, her second of the season and fourth career.
For Cunningham, it was her third-career, multi-goal game as she scored two against both Northern Colorado last season in a 4-0 shutout victory and two at Sam Houston State in a 4-2 win during her rookie season.
Western was outshot on the match, 7-6, but held a commanding 5-3 edge in the second half and a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks for the match.
WCU hosts Elon at 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon in Cullowhee, with the winner advancing to Charleston, S.C., and Patriot's Point for the semifinal and finals of the SoCon tournament.
2008 Southern Conference Women's Soccer Tournament
2008 Southern Conference Women's Soccer Tournament
First Round: Sunday - November 2
Game 1 - (8) Appalachian State at (1) UNC Greensboro, 2:00 pm
Game 2 - (5) Furman at (4) Davidson, 4:00 pm
Game 3 - (7) Elon at (2) Western Carolina, 4:00 pm
Game 4 - (6) College of Charleston at (3) Samford, 6:00 pm
Semifinals: Friday - November 7
Game 5 - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 4:30 pm
Game 6 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 7:00 pm
Sunday - November 9
Championship Match - 1:00 pm
