FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10-22-06
College Soccer: AASU 3, Belmont Abbey 0
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Armstrong Atlantic closed out its second regular season with a convincing 3-0 win over CVAC foe Belmont Abbey on Sunday afternoon in Savannah. The Pirates will head into the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the upcoming PBC tournament with an eye on not only a league title but an NCAA postseason berth as well.
The Pirates (16-3) recorded their fifth straight shutout with the victory, while Belmont Abbey (13-4-1) saw its ten-match unbeaten streak come to a close.
AASU got on the scoreboard in the 13th minute thanks to some nifty passing in the midfield from sophomore Shana Neves and senior Donna Cheyne. The duo fed freshman Kristin Burton and the PBC’s leading goal scorer delivered, beating Belmont Abbey keeper Anna Wells for the first goal of the match and her 18th goal of the season. Burton’s 18 goals are tied for the sixth-most in a single season in Peach Belt history.
In the 21st minute, sophomore Lyndsi Stricklen flicked a pass over the head of a defender, finding sophomore Jamie Craine in the box, one-on-one with Wells. Craine scored her fifth goal of the season to head into halftime with a 2-0 advantage.
Just three minutes after halftime, the Pirates added an insurance goal, this time Shana Neves finding the back of the net with her eighth goal of the season, off of a cross from Kristin Burton, to put the Pirates up by three.
AASU outshot the Crusaders by just one on the day, 15-14, but 10 of the Pirates’ 15 shots were on target, forcing Belmont Abbey keeper Wells to make seven saves on the match. Tarra Kohler made five saves to record the shutout for the Pirates.
The Pirates honored their three seniors prior to Sunday's contest, playing in their final regular season home matches. Cheyne, Jessica Chipple and Candice Modlinski have each started the last two seasons for head coach Eric Faulconer.
The Pirates will host UNC Pembroke in a first-round PBC tournament match on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 2:00 p.m. at Cingular Field. Belmont Abbey will also be in action its conference tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 24 in the first round of the CVAC Championships against Erskine.
- Pirates -