FLORENCE, SC – North Greenville University posted a goal at the end of the first half and two second-half goals to ultimately walk away with a 3-0 Conference Carolinas win over Francis Marion University, Saturday (Sept. 24) in women's soccer play.
The Patriots begin a two-game road trip with a match on next Saturday (Oct. 1) against Belmont Abbey College at 12:30 p.m. and then play at Barton College on Oct. 5 at 4:30 p.m.
North Greenville led in shots 22-8, with five Patriot tries being on target. The conference-leading Crusaders (5-2-1, 5-0-0) registered 14 shots on goal.
First-year FMU goalkeeper
Emily Casey registered a career-high 11 saves in the match, with three coming in the first half and eight in the second stanza. NGU's Samantha Montgomery ended the match with five saves.
Midfielder
Gianna Pavone and forward
Valentina Restrepo led the Patriots with two shots apiece, with both of Pavone's efforts being on goal. Forwards
Le'Landra Jarvis,
Kylie Reif,
Linsey Downey, and midfielder
JG Garon added a shot apiece.
North Greenville's Natalie Johnson netted the first goal for the Crusaders off a free kick from Jada Patrick that would be bodied down by Elainee Sprinkle and ultimately scored by Johnson from 1-yard out. The score came with 3:36 left before halftime.
Prior to that goal, FMU had a couple opportunities to take the lead. Restrepo's shot in the 18th minute deflected off a Crusader and over the end line for an FMU corner kick. Jarvis had a turn-and-shoot chance 40 seconds later that Montgomery stopped with a foot save.
Romee Contreras bodied in the second goal in the opening 33 seconds of the second half off a cross served in by Alexah Fite. Julia Hayes would tally the Crusader's third goal off a short service from the left side and a left-footed shot that would find the goal from five yards out.
The Crusaders would be awarded six corner kicks, while the Patriots were awarded two.
North Greenville Univ. def. Francis Marion Univ. 3-0
Date: 09/24/22 Attendance: 100
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
---------------------------------------------
North Greenville Univ. 1 2 - 3
Francis Marion Univ. 0 0 - 0
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0. 41:24 NGU Johnson, Natalie (1) (Patrick, Jada;Sprinkle, Elainee) - Free kick by #10 from left side just outside box, bodied down by #2, turn and shoot from 1 yard out by #25
2-0. 45:33 NGU Contreras, Romee (3) (Fite, Alexah) - Cross (service) from left side to far post, bodied in at post by #16
3-0. 71:17 NGU Hayes, Julia (2) (Lamb, Aleisha) - Short service from left side, just outside box, left-footed into goal from 5 yards out
Shots: North Greenville 22, Francis Marion Univ. 8 ; Saves: North Greenville 5 (Samantha Montgomery 5), Francis Marion 11 (
Emily Casey 11)
