FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8-27-05

College Soccer: Armstrong Atlantic 6, Christian Brothers 2

By: Jay Carmichael, AASU Student Assistant

CARROLLTON, Ga. – Shana Neves was the first to sign with the fledgling Armstrong Atlantic women's soccer squad and on Saturday became the first to score, as the
Pirates defeated Christian Brothers University, 6-2, in Carrollton, Ga. for the program's first win.

Christian Brothers, the 2002 NCAA DII National Champion, and Armstrong Atlantic battled evenly in the first half until the 33rd minute, when the freshman Neves got the ball inside the eighteen and chipped a shot over Buccaneer keeper Danielle Sines' head to put the Pirates up, 1-0.

With about three minutes left in the first half, AASU freshman Aubrie Roberts played a through ball to Scotland native Claire McCombe, and McCombe converted a wide open opportunity, again beating Sines and putting the Pirates up by two at halftime, 2-0.

The Buccaneers would get on the scoreboard shortly after the start of the second half as AASU sophomore Emily Latner tried to head away a cross that ended up in the back of the net for an own goal, cutting the AASU lead to 2-1.

Freshman Lyndsi Stricklen regained the momentum for the Pirates, however, with a high lofted ball over the arms of Christian Brother's
replacement keeper, Sarah Plummer, in the 48th minute to push the lead back to two at 3-1.

Roberts, the Savannah native, then scored the next two goals for
AASU to put the game out of reach and ensure the Pirates' first victory. The first one came in the 52nd minute from a powerful kick just outside the eighteen, while the second came in the 64th minute off an assist from freshman Ashley Brown, extending the lead to 5-1.

The Pirates continued to dominate possession in the latter stages of the second half and in the 66th minute, AASU captain Donna Cheyne closed out the Pirates' scoring with a goal off of an assist by Roberts. Christian Brothers answered back with a goal in the 78th minute when Cara O'Hern dribbled her way into open space to make a beautiful pass through to teammate Ciara McGuinness who knocked the ball past Armstrong's replacement keeper, Lisa Gray, which finished the scoring in the contest.

"I was really pleased with our performance and it's nice to get our first win of the season." AASU head coach Eric Faulconer said "We played with a lot more intensity then we did on Thursday both on the offensive and defensive ends. I told the team that we have been generating a lot of good offensive chances and that in time the goals would come, and today that happened."

The Pirates will next battle it out on the road against Presbyterian College on August 30, with a kickoff time of 7:00 p.m.

- Pirates -