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11/6/2009 -
Kennesaw State Meets Belmont in Title Match
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MACON, Ga. - Kennesaw State battles Belmont in the championship final of the Atlantic Sun Championship at 1:00 p.m. Saturday at the KSU Soccer Complex.
The championships final features a rematch of one of the semifinal matches from the 2008 A-Sun Championship. Belmont advanced past Kennesaw State on penalty kicks, 4-2. The Owls defeated the Bruins in the regular season scoring four times on first-team all-conference selection Sari Lin. Kristin Marietta, Brittany Vining, Katie Scott and Kristin Kranick found the net for the Owls during the regular season matchup. Vining, Kranick and Scott scored in the first half giving the Owls a 3-0 lead. Laura Harris and Jayme Trocino each scored in the second half but it could rally Belmont, who fell 4-2 in the match.
Kennesaw State enters the final on the heels of an overtime victory against Jacksonville in the semifinal round. The Owl’s Caitlin Dingle found the net with a header in the 96th minute against the Dolphins to adanvce to the final. Kennesaw State earned a record of 9-6-0 during the regular season while posting a mark of 7-3-0 in A-Sun conference play. Dingle, First-Team All-Atlantic Sun, leads the Kennesaw State offense with seven goals, six assists and 20 total points. Even with Dingle leading the way, the Owls hold a great deal of balance on the offensive side with six players entering the A-Sun Championship with 10 or more points. Staci Pugh leads the Owls in net with starts in all 16 games this season. The junior goalkeeper entered A-Sun Championship play with a 1.28 goals-against average, a .780 save percentage and four shutouts on the 2009 campaign.
The Bruins advance to the championship final with a goal from Annie Musacchio in the 83rd minute off a free kick from 25 yard out. Musacchio’s shot flew in struck the cross bar and fell into the net and gave the Bruins the victory. Belmont shared the regular-season crown with Kennesaw State after posting a record of 6-1-3 in conference play and an overall mark of 9-5-4. The Bruins allowed only seven goals during the regular season with four coming in their loss to Kennesaw State. The Bruins held the best winning percentage in conference action with their only loss coming at Kennesaw State. Sari Lin led the Bruins in net during the regular season holding an A-Sun best 0.69 goal-against average with a .859 save percentage including eight shutouts. First-Team All-Atlantic Sun midfielder Jayme Trocino leads the Bruins offensively and ranked third in the Atlantic Sun regular-season with 23 points. Trocino tied for first during the regular season in goals scored. Lauren Paynter ranked second on the Belmont squad with six goals. Annie Musacchio and Elizabeth Bublis sit tied for the Bruins lead in assists with six. Belmont claimed the A-Sun Championship a season ago with Sari Lin earning the tournament’s Most Vauable Player Award.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
