STATESBORO, Ga. – Senior Kelly Attayek responded to her first start of the season with a goal just 26 seconds into the game and UNC Greensboro added a pair of second-half goals to beat Georgia Southern 3-0 on Sunday.
Just two days after seeing their 33-match Southern Conference regular-season unbeaten streak come to an end at Davidson, the Spartans (7-5, 3-1 SoCon) wasted virtually no time getting on the board against the winless Eagles (0-11, 0-4 SoCon). Attayek missed the school record for fastest goal to start a game by just four seconds, taking a Cat Barnekow pass and slipping a shot past GSU keeper Lauren Santos just moments after the opening whistle.
UNCG never took its foot off the accelerator, rattling off 20 more shots on the day to finish with a 21-8 shot advantage.
Junior Kristin Player, who came off the bench for the first time this season, tallied her fifth goal of the season in the 66th minute. Jen Bronson ripped a shot that Santos saved but could not wrap up, and Player pounced on the rebound and knocked it home to give UNCG a 2-0 lead. Bronson was credited with an assist on the play.
Freshman Tabitha Padgett kept pace with Player for the team lead in goals, notching her fifth of the year in the closing minutes. With 87:23 gone in the contest, Padgett converted a Jaimey Etten pass for the final margin. Her goal came just over three minutes after she put a shot off the post.
Kelsey Kearney and Alex Perry combined for the shutout, with Kearney working the first 77:35 before giving way to Perry. Neither keeper was forced to make a save, as none of Georgia Southern's eight shots were on frame.
Danae Kaimuloa led the Eagles with three shots on the afternoon, while Sara Oland had two. GSU was shut out for the fifth game in a row.
Santos allowed three goals and made seven saves.
The win was UNCG's seventh in a row over Georgia Southern, which saw its record fall to 0-18-1 since its last win, which came on Oct. 3, 2008.
UNCG returns to action on Thursday, Oct. 8, when it will take on Western Carolina in Cullowhee, N.C., at 6 p.m. That contest – which pits the three-time defending SoCon regular-season champion Spartans against the defending SoCon tournament champion Catamounts – could have huge implications on the SoCon regular-season race.
AGATE
UNC Greensboro (7-5, 3-1 SoCon) vs. Georgia Southern (0-11, 0-4 SoCon)
Date: Oct 04, 2009 Attendance: 137
Weather: 77 degrees, Partly cloudy
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
UNC Greensboro 1 2 3
Georgia Southern 0 0 0
SCORING SUMMARY:
1 0:26 UNCG Kelly Attayek (2) (Cat Barnekow)
2 65:39 UNCG Kristin Player (5) (Jen Bronson)
3 87:23 UNCG Tabitha Padgett (5) (Jaimey Etten)
Shots: UNC Greensboro 21, Georgia Southern 8
Saves: UNC Greensboro 0 (), Georgia Southern 7 (Lauren Santos 7)
Corner kicks: UNC Greensboro 3, Georgia Southern 3
Fouls: UNC Greensboro 11, Georgia Southern 5
- UNCG -
