FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Beall, dbeall@uscupstate.edu

Box Score (PDF)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate women's soccer team traveled to crosstown rival Wofford College on Thursday evening and the Terriers managed a goal in each half to capture a 2-0 victory at Snyder Field in non-conference action.

The Terriers (5-2) get back on track and have now won four of their last five contests, while the Spartans (1-7) have lost seven straight after opening the season with a victory.

"We came out the first five minutes and looked great," head coach Abby Minihan said. "The goal for us moving forward is to improve on both sides of the ball. I feel like defensively we did a good job tonight considering we played two days ago. Staying organized as long as we did and keeping the intensity up the whole game is progress for us."

The Terriers controlled the tempo for much of the opening half, peppering the Upstate defense with nine first-half shots and finally breaking through in the 32nd to take a 1-0 lead. Maureen Buff played a perfect through ball and Emily Bougas and the junior slid a shot under the diving Sarah Plantz to score her team-leading third goal of the season.

Plantz recorded a pair of first-half saves, both coming on one-on-one situations to keep the game within reach and send the contest to intermission with the Terriers clinging to a one-goal lead.

The Spartans came out with a spirited attack in the second half and Courtney Deblois registered the first shot of the game for Upstate in the 59th minute when she fired a bullet shot from the top of the box, but Terrier keeper Kara Boggs corralled the attempt to keep the Spartans off the board.

Wofford doubled its lead in the 76th minute when Bougas found Buff in the box and the sophomore finished inside the left post to give Terriers a cushion with just 14 minutes remaining.

Upstate recorded one more shot on goal, again coming from the foot of Deblois, but the attempt ended up in the hands of Boggs and the Spartans were held scoreless once again.

The Terriers managed 21 shots with eight of those on goal, while the Spartans delivered two shots, both of which were on target. Plantz tallied six saves for Upstate, while Boggs stopped both shots sent her way.

"For progress to be made there is always struggle and a little bit of hardship, but that brings out the best in us and overall we are very encouraged, Minihan said. "The things we are doing in training are starting to translate to the field so the game plan is working."

The Spartans return to action on Sunday afternoon, welcoming Presbyterian College to town for a non-conference showdown at County University Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m.

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