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11/7/2007 - WOMEN'S SOCCER
ETSU upends Stetson; Faces Kennesaw State in Semis
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Courtesy ASunPhotos.com
KENNESAW, Ga. - Much like they had done in the final half of conference play, Terri Miller and Jordan Monty carried the ETSU offense as the duo scored both goals in the Buccaneers' 2-1 defeat of the No. 5 seed Stetson in the second quarterfinal match of the Atlantic Sun Conference Women's Soccer Championship on Wednesday at the Kennesaw State Soccer Complex.
Monty and Miller, who combined to score 10 goals in the Buccaneers' last seven regular-season games, opening the scoring with a tally in the game’s third minute when Miller scored off a Monty cross from the left side.
“Terry can post up, she can hold players off and she can get in behind players,” head coach Heather Henson said. “She’s a big girl, but deceptively she’s got some speed. Early in the game, that goal was a huge point for us.”
ETSU maintained its tenuous one-goal until the 26th minute when Stetson scored the tying goal on a blast from outside the 18-yard box by Emily Ware. Ware had not registered a goal this season prior to her goal tonight.
The match remained deadlocked until the 74th minute when Monty finished on a play set up by the effort of Katie Green. Green raced down the right-hand side and centered a cross that Monty reached first after beating a defender; Monty chipped the ball over the sliding Andrea Garavaglia into the back of the net for her 11th goal of the season (to match Miller’s total) and her fourth of the game-winning variety.
“Katie Green had good hustle down the sideline; she threw up a perfect through ball and I did what I had to do to put it into the back of the net,” Monty said.
Rachel Van Horn, a freshman goalkeeper who converted from forward in the middle of the season, made a career-high 12 saves. Stetson out shot the Buccaneers by a 25-10 margin. In fact, the Hatters recorded more shots in each half (11 in the first, 14 in the second) that the Buccaneers mustered for the entire match.
The ETSU win, combined with Belmont;s defeat of Jacksonville in the earlier quarterfinal, marked the first time in Championship history that both finalists from one year lost in the opening round of the subsequent year's Championship. In the process, the Buccaneers earned their first win at the A-Sun Championship. They lost quarterfinal matches in 2005 and 2006. The 2006 decision came after penalty kicks.
“It's been a breakthrough year, we've had a lot of good things happen, we've added some players to help Jordan [Monty] and we're ready for the semis,” Henson said.
By virtue of winning their first A-Sun Championship match, the Buccaneers earned the right to face top seed and host, Kennesaw State. ETSU handed Kennesaw State its lone conference loss in a 3-1 defeat at home on October 21st. ETSU rallied from one goal down with three in the second half in the span of 13 minutes. Monty scored the game-winning goal in the 76th minute. The Buccaneers will attempt to make A-Sun Championship history in that no No. 4 seed has ever advanced to the finals. Previous No. 4 seeds have lost all six of their semifinal matches, with one of those decisions decided on penalty kicks.
“We remember [the first meeting] was a battle. Kennesaw is a quality team and they know how to attack,” Henson said. “They have two great forwards who can put the ball in the back of the net. It is conference tournament time and everyone wants to win and no one is going to give up.”
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
