Furman 3, The Citadel 0

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Junior Caitlin Shelton notched her first game-winning goal of the season and freshman Stephanie DeVita tallied a goal and two assists as Furman blanked The Citadel, 2-0, in the Southern Conference women’s soccer opener for both schools on Friday afternoon at Washington Light Infantry Field.

With its seventh consecutive victory, Furman improved to 8-1-0 on the season and 1-0-0 in SoCon play.  The Citadel dropped to 2-6-0 overall and 0-1-0 in the league.

Shelton opened the scoring for Furman with her second goal of the season in the 19th minute.  DeVita played a cross into the middle of the box and Shelton drilled a shot past Bulldog goalkeeper Sara Katchen at 18:23 to give Furman a 1-0 lead.

The Paladins doubled their lead at the 62:19 mark on DeVita’s SoCon-leading 10th goal of the 2012 season as Martha Hall curled a corner kick into The Citadel box and DeVita beat her defender and the keeper with a header. The assist marked the team-leading fifth of the season for Hall.

Sophomore Hannah Stanifer capped the scoring less than six minutes before full time by receiving a pass from DeVita and hammering a shot into the top corner from 25 yards out at 84:21.

Furman compiled a 25-17 edge in shot attempts and 11-4 advantage in shots on goal against the Bulldogs.  The Paladins earned seven corner kicks to just three for The Citadel.

Freshman Rose Hull recorded her third shutout of the season and totaled four saves in net for Furman.  Katchen stopped eight shots in defeat for The Citadel.

Vanessa Aponte posted three of The Citadel's four shots on goal but was unable to get one passed Hull. Freshman Jannel Johnson led all Bulldogs with eight shots.

Furman continues its Charleston road trip on Sunday when it visits the College of Charleston in a 1 p.m. contest at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. The Bulldogs will close out the conference-opening weekend on Sunday when they host Wofford at 2 p.m. on Washington Light Infantry Field.

Samford 2, Georgia Southern 1

STATESBORO, Ga. – After battling back to tie the match just before halftime, Georgia Southern’s women’s soccer team conceded a 69^th-minute goal to fall 2-1 against Samford in the SoCon opener for both teams.

Samford scored in the 10th minute off the first corner kick of the afternoon. The ball came to an Eagle defender, who attempted a clearance from inside the six-yard box. That clearance made it just out of the six-yard box as Lindsey Hansen volleyed the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 Samford advantage.

In the final minute of the first half, Georgia Southern found the equalizer with the help of a free. Freshman Nora El-Shami delivered the wide kick into the box, finding the head of senior Zoe Van Gorder. Her header from three yards out found the net for her first goal as a Georgia Southern Eagle.

Samford battled back to score the game-winning goal in the 69th minute. A ball from Trine Taule inside the penalty area found Michelle Moll free at the penalty spot for her first goal of the year.

The Eagles drop just their second loss of the year and close the first day of conference play at 4-2-3 overall and 0-1 in the SoCon. Samford is 4-5-0 overall and 1-0 in the league.

The Eagles continue SoCon play on Sunday as Chattanooga comes to Eagle Field. The afternoon matinee starts at 2 p.m.

Davidson 3, Chattanooga 0

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson Wildcats started their quest for the program’s fourth regular-season Southern Conference women’s soccer title behind the leg of Dani Johnson with a strong 3-0 shutout of Chattanooga in both teams’ league-opener Friday evening at Alumni Stadium.

Johnson netted the first two goals of her collegiate career off a pair of corner kick loose balls to lead the offensive charge, with Kelsey Krueger also scoring for the 'Cats (3-4-2, 1-0 SoCon), who picked up their fourth shutout of the year. The win is Davidson's eighth straight in the all-time series as it improved to 17-1-1 vs. the Mocs (2-4-1, 0-1 SoCon).

Julia Singley was credited with her first assist of the season on Krueger’s goal, while Rachael Newmister tallied her second assist of the season.

Rachael Locke earned her seventh career shutout (fourth of the season), stopping four shots. Chattanooga’s Lauren Thomas came up with nine saves.

Davidson dominated the shot column and corner kicks, holding 25-9 and 11-2 advantages.

Southern Conference play continues for the Wildcats this weekend when they welcome reigning league champion Samford to Alumni Stadium on Sunday for a 2 p.m. matchup. Chattanooga is at Georgia Southern on Sunday at 2 p.m.

UNCG 3, Appalachian State 2 (2OT)

BOONE, N.C. – Midfielder Tinna Bergthorsdottir scored the golden goal with a 1:53 left in double overtime to propel UNCG women's soccer to a 3-2 Southern Conference comeback victory Friday night at the ASU Soccer Stadium.

With the victory, the Spartans improved to 4-5 overall and a 1-0 record in the SoCon. UNCG is a perfect 16-0 in conference openers since joining the SoCon in 1997. The Blue and Gold also have won 16 straight road conference games dating back to 2009, when the Spartans lost 2-1 at Davidson.

With just four minutes left in regulation, senior Karin Sendel found freshman Zoe Fishman inside the box and Fishman fired a left-footed strike to tie the game at 2-2.

The Spartans had two shots in the first overtime and made their only shot in the second overtime count. Bergsthorsdottir received a perfect pass off the head of sophomore Ashley Stokes and finished the game-winning goal.

UNCG scored three unanswered goals and outshot the Mountaineers 20-to-16 in the game.

Just 12 minutes into the second half, Appalachian State scored its second goal of the game off a breakaway from Meggie Graham. Graham raced down the field and beat the keeper one-on-one for the strike.

The Spartans answered less than a minute later as Sendel placed a nice through ball to Stokes, who buried her second goal of the season to cut the lead to 2-1.

In the first half, Appalachian State took the lead after Sam McVeigh lofted a ball that Jenna Caudle got a piece of and went over the head of freshman goalkeeper Jamie Simmons to give the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead.

The Spartans controlled most of the possession in the first half but were unable to find the equalizer, ending with five shots. Sendel blasted a shot that hit the crossbar in the 40th minute followed by a header attempt from freshman Chesney White that hit the crossbar, as well.

UNCG returns home for its conference home opener against Western Carolina Sunday at 2 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium. Appalachian State hits the road to face Elon at 2 p.m. Sunday.

College of Charleston 1, Wofford 0

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – Michaela Herrmann’s 89^th-minute goal lifted the College of Charleston women’s soccer team to a 1-0 win over Wofford in the opening match of the Southern Conference season at Patriots Point on Friday evening.

The freshman’s first goal as a Cougar couldn’t have come at a bigger time as overtime loomed with under two minutes remaining in a then-scoreless draw.

The Cougars, now 2-6-0 overall but more importantly 1-0-0 in league play, had dominated the entirety of the match but were denied their chances at net until Herrmann’s heroics put CofC back in the win column.

The 89th-minute goal came after Sarah Schaidle made a run into the right side of the box and played the ball back into the middle. Maryam Buazza ran to the ball and drew the defense but let it roll through to Herrmann, who booted back across the goal mouth and into the far-side netting.

The Cougars peppered the Terriers with 14 shots in the match while Wofford managed just six. The Cougars’ shots were quality attempts, with eight being on target.

CofC also won more corners, 4-2, and played a more disciplined brand of soccer by committing just three fouls to the Terriers’ seven.

Taylor Avery offered a full 90 minutes in goal and made three saves to earn her first shutout of the season. Seven other Cougars played all 90 minutes of the match, as well.

Wofford’s best chance came in the 72nd minute when Evie Kytan headed the ball over Avery’s head, but Kate Twohig was on the goal line to boot it away and keep the game scoreless.

The Cougars continue league play on Sunday by hosting Furman at Patriots Point at 1 p.m. Wofford will head across town to face The Citadel at 2 p.m.

Western Carolina 1, Elon 1 (2OT)

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Elon University women’s soccer team opened up Southern Conference play on Friday night at Western Carolina, battling the Catamounts to a 1-1 draw at the Catamount Athletic Complex.

Elon moves to 2-5-3 (0-0-1 SoCon) while Western goes to 4-4-1 (0-0-1 SoCon).

The Phoenix’s lone goal came courtesy of sophomore Caroline O’Dee. O’Dee netted her first career score in the 17th minute when she struck a shot from 20 yards out and bounced it over WCU goalie Katie Jacobs to give the Maroon and Gold a 1-0 edge.

An Elon foul in the box in the 76th minute led to a Western Carolina penalty kick for Lindsay Carter. Carter managed to get her strike behind Kate Murphy for the score, knotted the game at 1-1.

Jennifer McGorty nearly gave Elon the golden goal in the first overtime, but her shot in the 97th minute was snared by Western goalie Jennifer Lauer.

The Phoenix held off the Catamounts in the final four minutes, as Western Carolina registered five shots down the stretch, two of which were saved by Murphy. Murphy ended the match with a career-high 11 saves.

Elon returns home on Sunday when it hosts in-state rival Appalachian State at 2 p.m. Western Carolina heads to Greensboro, N.C., for a 2 p.m. match at UNCG that day.