MATTHEWS, N.C. – After claiming the Big South regular season title, Upstate Women's Soccer earned the number one seed and a bye into the Big South Women's Soccer Championship tournament. The Spartans faced Presbyterian College in the semifinal game, claiming a thrilling 2-1 victory.

Each team would trade shots back and forth for the first half, but both goalkeepers let nothing past them, leaving the match equal at zero heading into the halftime break. Hailey Sapinoro claimed the match's first shot just two minutes into play. The first goal of the match occurred in the 80^th minute off the foot of Paige Armstrong, who picked up the ball after a save on an initial shot by Savannah Noll. The Blue Hose found the equalizer just four minutes later.

Upstate remained unphased, netting the go-ahead goal two minutes later. It was none other than Big South Offensive Player of the Year Dara Russo, netting her eighth goal of the season off an assist by Catarina Dantas and Savannah Knoll. Russo's game-winning goal is her fourth this season and ninth of her career, marking a DI-era record. She led the Spartans in shots with three. Nya Baccelli, Hailey Sapinoro, and Paige Armstrong added two shots each. Goalkeeper Meghan Groah collected two saves on the night.

Game information
Score: USC Upstate 2; Presbyterian College 1
Record: USC Upstate (9-4-4 ; 5-1-2) vs. Presbyterian College ( 7-6-5; 2-2-3)
Location: Matthews Sportsplex | Matthews, N.C.

How It Happened

• '2 – Shot by Hailey Sapinoro, going high right
• '24 – Nya Baccelli takes her first shot of the match, but it's saved
• '27 – Shot by Dara Russo, high
• '29 – Shot by PC, saved by Meghan Groah
• '43 – Shot by Hannah Johnson, saved
• '49 – Dara Russo sends a shot high
• '54 – Catarina Dantas takes a shot, but it is saved by PC
• '56 – Paige Armstrong takes her first shot of the match, sending it high right
• '57 – Shot by Morgan de Barros, high right
• '64 – Nya Baccelli take her second shot of the night, sending it wide right
• '73 – Shot by Hailey Sapinoro, saved
• '74 – Maddy DeCola takes a shot, but it goes wide left
• '80 – Shot by Savannah Noll, saved
• '80 – Spartan goal by Paige Armstrong, assist by Savannah Noll
• '84 – The Blue Hose score the equalizing goal
• '86 – Goal by Dara Russo, assisted by Catarina Dantas and Savannah Noll

Notable

• Savannah Noll earned a new season high in assists with two
• Hailey Sapinoro set a new season high in shots with two
• The Spartans advance to the championship game for the second consecutive season

UP Next for the Spartans
The Spartans will face High Point on Sunday in the Big South Championship game at 1:00 pm.

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