Aug. 21, 2009

Box Score

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Navy Midshipmen posted three first period goals en route to the victory on Friday night at County University Soccer Stadium. This was the first match of the season for both teams. Navy now owns a 1-0-0 mark, while USC Upstate posts a 0-1-0 record.

Navy grabbed an early 1-0 lead when Christine Calderon scored off an assist from Katie Kelly. Calderon's goal came just 2:27 into the match. The Midshipmen would tack on two more goals before halftime. Shelly Moeller scored off of a corner kick at the 14:01 mark, followed by Carissa Youker's goal with just over 15 minutes remaining in the half.

Upstate was quiet on offense throughout the match as they produced just three shots. Two of those shots came in the first half while the third came in the second half, compared to Navy's 10 and six, respectively.

Freshman goalkeeper Sian Jenkins, playing in her first collegiate match, recorded five saves. Even though Upstate trailed 3-0 at half, they showed signs of improvement on defense in the second half as they didn't allow another Midshipmen goal.

"I am proud of the effort we gave in the second half, as we tightened up on defense after the first half. We fell behind early on corner kicks and a penalty kick and that is difficult to battle back from," said head coach Kendall Reyes. "We are lacking a little bit of chemistry, but I feel the second half was a boost for our team and we just have a few things to work on before our next match."

The Spartans will travel down Interstate 85 to Greenville, S.C. on Monday for a match with regional rival Furman. The Monday night contest will begin at 7 p.m. and will be the season opener for the Paladins.