CLINTON, S.C. - The Presbyterian College women's soccer team delivered a Senior Night to remember on Saturday evening, shutting out the visiting Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs by a 3-0 margin.
PC (3-14-1, 3-7-0 Big South) used a goal and an assist from both Tori Lopez and Sara Simpson to knock off Gardner-Webb (3-13-1, 2-7-1 Big South).
The Blue Hose end the regular season on Tuesday by hosting UNC Asheville at 7 p.m.
PC freshman goalkeeper Sydney Fontenot (Austin, Texas) made five saves to earn her first career clean sheet.
The win marked PC's second straight shutout on Senior Night after a season-ending 1-0 victory over High Point in 2011 and snapped a three-match losing streak to the Runnin' Bulldogs.
The Blue Hose also received a pair of assists from freshman Sophie Cobb (Columbia, S.C.) and a goal from Catie Smith (Greenville, S.C.) in the effort.
The two sides battled through a scoreless tie for much of the first half until Simpson broke through shortly before halftime. The junior, stationed on the near post during a Cobb corner kick, headed the ball backwards and over the goal line to put the home side in front heading into the break, 1-0. The goal gave Simpson her fifth goal of the campaign.
Smith struck soon after the teams returned to the field, cashing in on another corner kick in the 49th minute. Cobb's cross found Lopez, who deflected the ball to Smith and the sophomore poked home the chance for her second goal in four games.
Lopez wrapped up PC's scoring and caught Simpson for the team's goal lead in the 69th minute. Simpson took the ball in an open area and played a through ball to Lopez that split the back line and set up Lopez for a breakaway opportunity. Lopez finished the chance and brought the score to its final tally, 3-0.
The Blue Hose received solid play defensively en route to the shutout, the team's first of 2012. Keri O'Neill (Peachtree City, Ga.) stymied several Gardner-Webb chances and senior Alice Blackwell (Marietta, Ga.) held the Runnin' Bulldogs attackers at bay as well. The PC back line limited Gardner-Webb's clean looks at shots and Fontenot handled the rest, allowing no rebounds and snagging several difficult shots.
Gardner-Webb held the overall edge in shots, 16 to 14, thanks to four from Megan Curan.
The team honored seniors Blackwell, Abi Thompson, Sarah Kustick and Townley Cheek prior to the opening whistle.
