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 Danielle Mayeaux, Charlotte |
Nov. 7, 2008
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - No. 1 seed Charlotte and No. 2 seed Dayton were victorious Friday night in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Conference Women's Soccer Championship at Saint Louis University's Robert R. Hermann Stadium. Charlotte (16-3-1), ranked among the top 30 nationally in three polls, posted a 2-0 victory over host and No. 4 seed Saint Louis (11-6-4) in the first semifinal. Dayton (15-5-1) was a 2-1 winner over No. 3 seed Fordham (12-6-2) in the second semifinal. The 49ers and Flyers will meet for the title and the league's automatic NCAA Tournament berth Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT). Charlotte defeated Dayton 2-1 in the teams' regular-season meeting.
No. 1 Charlotte 2, No. 4 Saint Louis 0
Charlotte, which posted an 11-0-0 A-10 regular-season record, drew first blood in the 17th minute when Conference Midfielder of the Year Hailey Beam and league Offensive Player of the Year Whitney Weinraub teamed up. Weinraub sent a pass from the right flank into the box to a waiting Beam, who fired a 16-yard shot past Saint Louis goalkeeper Hannah Perry into the top right corner. The goal was Beam's league-leading 16th of the season, while Weinraub notched her 10th helper of the year.
Each team had several offensive rushes in the first half, but just six shots were launched with Charlotte holding a 5-1 edge. Beam's marker was the only shot on goal for either squad.
The 49ers took command in the second half and eventually tallied an insurance goal that resulted in the final score. On a corner kick, Sam Huecker flighted the ball to the far post, where Danielle Mayeaux was waiting at the doorstep to
head it in for her fifth goal of the season at 64:59. Huecker picked up her 12th assist. Led by Mayeaux's five shots, Charlotte registered a 12-3 advantage in total shots. Perry made two saves for the Billikens, while 49ers keeper Lauren Brown had one save. Charlotte also recorded an 8-2 edge in corner kicks.
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No. 2 Dayton 2, No. 3 Fordham 1
The evening's second semifinal matched a pair of teams that tied for second place in the regular-season standings,with Dayton earning the No. 2 seed by virtue of a 3-2 double-overtime triumph in late October. Dayton took an early lead on Kelsey Owen's fifth goal of the season at the 3:34 mark. Off a corner kick flighted by Kelly Blumenschein, Owen was able to find the back of the net from close range following a scramble in the box. The assist was the sixth of the campaign for Blumenschein.
Fordham scored the equalizer at 12:32 on a penalty kick. Dayton was called for a hand ball in the penalty area, and the Rams' Catherine Huvane converted the PK for her second goal of the year and a 1-1 deadlock. The Flyers claimed a 2-1 edge at the 62:25 mark. Moments after her shot hit the right post on a previous possession, a sprinting Mandi Back gathered a perfectly placed pass from Colleen Gibson on the left side. Back carried the ball in and lined a 13-yard shot past Fordham keeper Elisabeth Roald inside the far post for her team-leading eighth goal of the season. The assist was Gibson's team-best ninth of the year. Dayton's 17-12 margin in total shots, led by Back's game-high six shots, included a 9-5 edge in shots on goal. Roald made seven saves, while Dayton's Deana Waintraub collected four saves.
