Team Celebration Semifinals vs. HPU
0
High Point HPU (6-5-7, 4-1-3)
2
Winner USC Upstate UPS (11-3-4, 6-2-0)
High Point HPU
(6-5-7, 4-1-3)
0
Final
2
USC Upstate UPS
(11-3-4, 6-2-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
High Point HPU 0 0 0
USC Upstate UPS 1 1 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Women's Soccer Makes History as a 2-0 Shutout Victory Over No. 3 Seed High Point Advances the No. 2 Seed Spartans to the Finals of the Big South Tournament on Sunday

MATTHEWS, N.C. - The USC Upstate women's soccer program achieved yet another historic milestone on Thursday night in Matthews, as a 2-0 shutout victory over No. 3 seed High Point solidified its place in the Big South Women's Soccer Tournament Finals for the first time in program history.  

Upstate came out swinging from the jump as an early goal from Ashley Finn set the tone. Audrey Baer was able to connect with Margret Edda Bjarnadottir through the middle before slipping Finn a ball to run on to through the Panthers' defensive line. With a one touch, right footed shot, Finn found the back post to establish a one-goal lead within the first five minutes. The following 15 minutes of play would contain six High Point shots, as well as one save for Cora Brendle. Upstate refused to be forced to defend for the remainder of the first half and instead held the Panthers without a shot for the final 25 minutes of the half. The Spartans would have shots from Ashley Finn, Dara Russo, Nya Baccelli, and Emily Sanders to close the first 45 minutes. At the halftime break, the Spartans and the Panthers were tied seven shots apiece, but Upstate had three shots on goal compared to High Point's one. Within the first 45 minutes, Upstate held possession of the ball for 51% of the game and was in High Point's half of the field for 53%.  

Coming out of the break, the Panthers rattled off the first shot but Finn was quick to respond with a threat of her own for the Spartans. Both teams went back and forth, trading attacks endline-to-endline. High Point would have a spurt of potential to tie the game around the 60-minute mark, but Brendle would come up big for Upstate to maintain not just her clean sheet, but the one-goal lead. In the 69th minute of play, Rachel Satchell would come into play and immediately force the High Point goalkeeper to make an exceptional save to hold the Spartans at one goal. The nail in the coffin came in the 77th minute as Dara Russo collected a long ball from Bjarnadottir, was able to get around High Points last point of defense and slot the ball into the goal on an extremely tight angle. Russo's goal would be the last shot of the match. With the final whistle, the Spartans collected their 11th win of the season and for the first time ever advanced from the semifinals of the Big South Women's Soccer Tournament.  

Finn led the team on offense with one goal, five shots, and one shot on goal while Russo was just behind her with two shots on goal and one goal. Nya Baccelli and Emily Sanders also had two shots respectively while Rachel Satchell posted one dangerous shot on target. Catarina Bastos, Emily Rangel, and Hailey Sapinoro played the full 90 minutes along Upstate's backline while Brendle played the full game in the goal. While in the net, Brendle recorded two saves on 14 shots faced and collected her sixth solo shutout of the season 

Game Information    
Score: USC Upstate 2: High Point 0 
Record: No. 2 Seed USC Upstate (11-3-4, 6-2-0 Big South) vs. No 3 Seed High Point (6-5-7, 4-1-3 Big South)   
SportsPlex at Matthews | Matthews, N.C     

 
Notable   

  • Ashley Finn scored her fifth goal of the season, her second game winning goal, in the semifinal against High Point. 

  • Dara Russo scored her 14th goal of the season in the semifinal against High Point 

  • Russo has scored seven goals in Upstate's last six games. 

  • Rachel Satchell had recorded at least one shot in each of Upstate's last six games 

  • With her shutout tonight, Brendle ties her career high of six shutouts in a single season.  

  • This is the first time Upstate has made it out of the semifinal round of the Big South Tournament since joining the conference in 2018 (2022, L 1-0 vs. Radford; 2021 did not appear in the tournament; 2020, did not appear in the tournament; 2019, did not appear in the tournament; 2018, L 1-0 vs. Gardner-Webb). 

  • Upstate has now tied the record for most wins in a single season during the Division I era which was set back in the 2018 season (11 wins). 
  • Upstate has now beaten High Point three consecutive times.

UP Next for the Spartans    
The Spartans advance to the finals of the Big South Women's Soccer Tournament and will take on the No. 1 seed Radford Highlanders on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. 

    
Connect with the Spartans    
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics    
Twitter | @UpstateWSoccer    
Instagram | @UpstateWSoccer    
Youtube.com/UpstateSpartans  

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