CLINTON, S.C. – For the fourth time this season and the 10^th time in the career of renowned senior keeper Kelly Hall, the Presbyterian College women's soccer team turned in a clean sheet. The Blue Hose held UNC Asheville scoreless for their second shutout in as many matches, beating the Bulldogs 2-0 on Wednesday night.

As the Big South meeting wore on and fatigue started to creep in, it seemed as if PC would be escaping with the W thanks to an own-goal from the visitors in the 20^th minute. However, Sloan Spees delivered the dagger with just over two minutes left, allowing the Scotsmen to win by a pair.

By moving to 2-1-3 in league encounters (adding up for nine points), the Blue Hose have put themselves in a firm position to enter the Big South Tournament in November with just one regular season game standing.

After stonewalling both Longwood and UNC Asheville in the span of five days, Presby will set their sights on Radford this weekend for the 2024 closer in a match between two combatants who have an identical conference resume.

 
FINAL SCORE – Presbyterian, 2 – UNC Asheville, 0
RECORDS – Presbyterian (7-4-4, 2-1-3) – UNC Asheville (3-10-1, 1-3)
LOCATION – Martin Stadium (Clinton, S.C.)


 
NOTABLES
 
- Less than a week after she tied Sarah Beth Anderson (2008-11) for the most shutouts by a Presbyterian keeper in the school's Division I era, Hall surged to number one on Wednesday with a seven-save performance.

- The Blue Hose have now gone three straight seasons with a sequence of back-to-back shutouts, as PC drew Longwood to a scoreless decision on Saturday and have now played 181 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal.

- In year one with head coach Matt Smith at the helm, the garnet and blue have submitted their first season with at least four shutouts since 2015. This is the second straight fall where Presbyterian has blanked two Big South foes in succession, doing the same to Winthrop and Gardner-Webb last year.

- PC achieved its seventh victory of the campaign by silencing Asheville, the most in a single year for the program since the 2018 squad won eight contests.

- As long as the Blue Hose stay inside the league's top six (currently in the middle of a three-way tie for third place), they'll make it to the postseason for the first time in five years and the third occasions since jumping to Division I in 2007.


 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
- UNC Asheville gave Presby a gift at 19:39 after a bullet from Allie Williams ricocheted down from the crossbar, inadvertently looping the ball back into the net for an own-goal.

- Senior Sarah Dieffenderfer was in the vicinity near Bulldog keeper Gracie Murray, causing UNCA to knee-jerk in the wrong direction and give PC a 1-0 advantage at halftime.

- While it was mostly a quiet night on the offensive end for the Blue Hose, their back line maintained its pristine reputation as the quartet of Lyla Chadd, Madison Hindman, Ella Williams, and Lauren Clark played the full 90.

- Just as Asheville was beginning to run out of gas – constantly thwarted by Hall and co. at every turn- it was Spees who ensured the W by leaking out in front of the Bulldog defense and bonking in one more goal for extra cushion.

- The all-time series between Presbyterian and UNCA continues to be zany, as the winners of that matchup have flipped back and forth for eight years running.

- Each of PC's six triumphs over Asheville have come via shutout, boosting the combined total to 12-0 in games where the Scotsmen come out on top.


 
UP NEXT
 
- The recipients of both the 2023 and 2022 Big South Championships will be in Martin Stadium for the regular season finale on Saturday, as the Blue Hose joust with Radford at 2:30 PM.

- ESPN+ will be covering the action (what is the first half of a doubleheader that also features PC's men's team facing nationally-ranked High Point), as the Blue Hose look to officially book their stay in the conference tourney.

- While HPU and USC Upstate sit neck-and-neck at the top of the league standings, it's a Presbyterian/Radford/Longwood trio who are all fighting for that next spot in line.

- The Highlanders knocked off High Point on Wednesday while PC was busy defeating Asheville, scoring in the opening half and putting on autopilot from there. They'd seize the 1-0 win, Radford's 31^st victory since August 2022.