Salisbury, N.C. —- The 2nd-ranked and top-seeded Catawba College women's soccer team won its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament opener at Frock Field on Friday afternoon, scoring three goals in the second half to move past Belmont Abbey in the Southeast Regional.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-shot Belmont Abbey 29-11
- The Catawba Indians put 15 shots on goal to the Crusaders' four
- Catawba had eight of 10 corner kicks in the match
- The Catawba Indians were whistled for five of nine fouls
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Bree Ehmer netted two second-half goals on eight shots with six on goal
- Morgan Delair added a score with four more shots on target
- Maria Rayburn delivered an assist
- Jenni D?hne picked up three saves in the winning result
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
- Catawba put pressure on early, with two shots on goal in the first minute
- The Belmont Abbey keeper made three more saves before the end of 11th minute
- Delair got another try on target at the end of the half, but the teams entered the halftime break in a scoreless tie
SECOND HALF
- Catawba got immense pressure in the box in the 48th minute and an attempted clear ricocheted off Delair into the back of the net for the first score of the game
- A ball got away deep in the Catawba end and Belmont Abbey's Samantha Smith finished off an opportunity with an open net to tie the game in the 58th minute
- Rayburn played a shot in the 76th minute that was deflected by the Abbey keeper, but Ehmer one-touched it in with the left foot for the eventual winner
- Ehmer drew a penalty kick less than three minutes later; Belmont Abbey's keeper saved the PK, but Ehmer followed it in for her second score of the night to push the lead to 3-1
GAME NOTES
- Catawba's fourth straight win in the NCAA Tournament opener, the longest such streak in the region
- Ninth NCAA Tournament win in program history; fifth under Nick Brown
- Ehmer's 18th and 19th goals of the season, passing Sydney Jimmo for second most in a single season in Catawba history
- Her 41 career goals tied Jimmo for sixth all-time in program history
- Ehmer's fifth and sixth goals of the postseason (four games)
UP NEXT
- Catawba advances to NCAA Tournament Second Round action back at Frock Field on Sunday; the start is set for 3 p.m.
