Box Score FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Beall, dbeall@uscupstate.edu
Box Score (PDF)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Looking to win back-to-back game for the first time all season, the USC Upstate women's soccer team allowed a pair of rebound goals on Sunday afternoon and fell 2-0 at the hands of Northern Kentucky in Atlantic Sun Conference action at County University Stadium.
The Norse end a four-game skid and improve to 5-11 overall and 2-6 in the A-Sun, while the Spartans' bid to win back-to-back games comes up short as they fall to 3-13 overall and 1-6 in league action.
The best scoring chances in the first half came in a span of two minutes and both by Northern Kentucky forwards, as Maria Silbersack and Sarah Smith fired point blank range shots on goal but Upstate stopper Sarah Plantz made diving saves on both attempts to keep the game scoreless.
The Norse finally broke through in the 57th minute when Maria Silverack fired a shot that was saved by Plantz, but the rebound found the foot of Jaclyn Elmore who finished to a nearly wide open net to give Northern Kentucky a 1-0 lead.
The goal for the Norse is the first goal allowed by the Spartans in 196 consecutive minutes, dating back to a goal by ETSU eight days ago in the final moments of the first half. Upstate managed to string together over four straight halves of soccer without allowing a score.
The Norse seemed to have Spartan defense figured out as they added another goal just six minutes later on nearly an exact replica of the first score. Plantz once again had a save bounce away from her grasp and this time Megan Frye tapped home her fourth goal of the season to wide open net to double the NKU lead and make it 2-0.
The Spartans attempted just two shots in the game, one in each half, but neither attempt was on target.
Plantz allowed both Norse goals and recorded five saves in the contest, while Cassie Lingenhoel picked up the win for Northern Kentucky in goal with 45 minutes of scoreless action in the second half.
The Spartans return to action next weekend, traveling to the sunshine state to take on North Florida Friday evening and Jacksonville Sunday afternoon in the team's regular season finale.
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