BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Kennesaw State tallied a first-half goal from
Katie Scott and second-half score from Alyssa Mahan and defeated
Campbell 2-0 Thursday in women's soccer action at the Eakes
Athletic Complex.
The Owls move to 7-6-1 (4-3-0 A-Sun) and Campbell falls to 6-8-1
(3-4-0 A-Sun).
Kennesaw State went up in the 31st minute when Mahan
took Alma Gardarsdottir's through ball down the left side, and
Mahan sent a square ball to Scott in the box, where her left-footed
shot beat CU keeper Ryann
Torrero to put KSU up 1-0.
Campbell nearly equalized in the next minute when Pirjo
Leppikangas launched a right-footed effort towards the near
post on the right side, but Staci Pugh stopped her shot to retain
KSU's advantage.
Campbell threatened in the 62nd minute when Cissy
Nitz played a ball to Annabelle
Gibney down the right flank, but her sliding pass across the
box was just inches too far for a streaking Olga
Ekblom.
Katie Scott's driven shot in the 71st minute was just
parried up and over the bar by Torrero to keep the CU deficit at
one.
Just one minute later, though, a scramble for the ball off a failed
clearance came to Shelby Crosby, who nodded the ball to Mahan, and
Mahan struck a left-footed shot past Torrero and into the upper
right corner of the goal to double the Owls' advantage.
KSU outshot the Camels 12-10 on the night and held an 8-6 margin in
shots on target. Pugh and Torrero each made six saves in their
respective nets, and Pugh recorded her fourth clean sheet of the
season.
The Owls moved into a tie for third place in the A-Sun standings
with 12 points, while Campbell's nine points are tied for
fourth.
Campbell returns to the field Saturday at 7 p.m. in a crucial
Atlantic Sun match with Mercer. Each team has nine points and is
attempting to qualify for A-Sun tournament.
The match will also mark Campbell's final A-Sun home match, with
the university set to move to the Big South Conference next
year.
CU leads the all-time series with Mercer 11-8, but Mercer has won
the last four meetings between the two schools.
