Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Joyce and Sinkuler Lead Blue Hose as PC Knocks Off No. 12 Tusculum in Food Lion SAC Women’s Soccer Tournament Action
GREENEVILLE,
TENN. –
Senior
Claire Joyce (Aiken, S.C.) netted her second game-winner in
three days and sophomore Erin Sinkuler (Roswell, Ga.) recorded a
career-high 11 saves as seventh-seeded Presbyterian College
upset No. 2 seed Tusculum College 1-0 Tuesday in one of four
quarterfinal matches of the 2006 Food Lion South Atlantic
Conference Women's Soccer Tournament.
With the victory, the Blue Hose (8-9) advance to Friday's
semifinal against No. 3 seed Catawba College, a 2-1 winner
tonight over No. 6 Newberry College, in Hickory, N.C. on
Lenoir-Rhyne College’s campus at 3 p.m.
The other
semifinal match will take place at noon and features top-seed
Carson-Newman College, a 4-2 winner against No. 8 Lenoir-Rhyne,
and fourth-seed Mars Hill College who defeated No. 5 Wingate
University 3-0.
Tusculum, who is ranked No. 12 in NCAA Division II, loses in the
opening round of the SAC Tournament for the first time in school
history. The Pioneers (12-2-3) now await word of a possible
NCAA Tournament berth, which will be announced next week.
Tusculum is
the second nationally ranked squad that the Blue Hose have upset
in the last three days as Presbyterian handed then No. 22
Catawba a 2-1 setback on October 21.
PC netted the only of the game in the 12th minute when Joyce headed a
shot to the far post on a 15-yard crossing pass from sophomore
Christy Howard (Stone Mountain, Ga.). For Joyce, it was her
ninth goal of the season as well as her fourth game-winning goal
of the year. All four of Joyce’s game-winners have been against
SAC opponents.
Tusculum dominated ball control as the Pioneers out-shot the
Blue Hose by a 20-6 margin, including 15-3 in the second half.
Sinkuler played stellar as she accounted for 11 saves, including
nine stops in the final 45 minutes.
With five minutes remaining in the match, TC looked to have
knocked home the equalizer when Kelly Barron headed a cross from
the side, but the play was whistled offsides, negating the tying
goal.
Sinkuler went the distance to post her fourth shutout of the
season, while Tusculum's Whitney Wardrop allowed one goal and
recorded a save in the loss. For Wardrop, it was only the ninth
goal she has given up this season.