CLINTON, S.C. – A 79th minute goal from Sara Simpson
(Columbia, S.C.) and four saves lifted the Presbyterian College women's soccer team over
visiting Charleston Southern for a Big South Conference victory, 2-1.
Charleston Southern (5-8-1, 3-4-0 Big South) outshot PC
(2-12-0, 2-5-0 Big South), by a 16-14 tally and scored a tying goal in the final second
of the first half, but the Blue Hose fired 10 shots on goal to the Buccaneers'
five en route to the win.
PC goalkeeper Jordan Broadway (Chapin, S.C.) made four saves
on the night. Charleston Southern's Caitlin Cody stopped eight PC shots.
Catie Smith (Greenville, S.C.) opened the scoring in the 19th
minute for the Blue Hose. Emily Boggus (Conyers, Ga.) crossed in a ball for
Tori Lopez (Snellville, Ga.), who volleyed a shot from in close that Cody
stopped. Smith picked up the rebound, however, and stuffed it high to give the
Blue Hose the early edge.
Charleston Southern answered with less than a second before
halftime. Tori Wright played a long ball to Rebecca Hollstegge in the box and
the Buccaneer poked home a goal with three-tenths of a second left on the clock, sending the teams into halftime tied, 1-1.
The Blue Hose defense channeled the Buccaneers' shots away
from Broadway in the second half as the junior goalkeeper made one save without
allowing a goal in the second frame.
The defense would help to create the game-winning play, as
well. Sophie Cobb (Columbia, S.C.) served a ball to the top of the box to a
running Simpson, who deftly deflected the falling ball past Cody into the net
to give PC a lead it kept for the win.
Smith and Lopez led the team with three shots each, while
Brittany Whitson (Conyers, Ga.) added two shots on goal and played all 90
minutes on the back line. Charleston Southern's Tony Lashley and Rebecca Hollstegge took four shots
each on the night.
Thursday's win marks PC's first over Charleston Southern in
the last three meetings since a 1-0 home victory in 2008.
PC next heads to Coastal Carolina for a 10 a.m. match on Saturday against the Chanticleers.
