GREENSBORO, N.C. - Kristin Player scored off a Jenn Partenheimer pass in the 62nd minute and UNC Greensboro's defense made the lead stand as the Spartans picked up a 1-0 win over Virginia Commonwealth in the final game of the 2009 UNCG Spartan Classic on Sunday.
Stanford (No. 4 NSCAA, No. 2 Soccer America) dropped Virginia Tech in the early game, 5-0.
With UNCG and VCU locked in a scoreless duel, the Spartans (1-3) finally dented the scoreboard with 61:32 gone in the contest. Partenheimer dribbled up the right side and played a cross in to the far side of the 18-yard box, and Player chested it down and poked it past VCU keeper Kate Hudson for what would prove to be the game-winner.
Kelsey Kearney made a pair of first-half saves, and UNCG's defensive line of Cat Barnekow, Leigh Riordon, Casey Godwin and Katie Evans - playing without senior captain Lauren Lopez, who received a red card Friday night and was not eligible to play Sunday - kept the Rams (1-3) at bay.
The Spartans had the run of play in the second half, and had nearly gotten on the board just moments before Player's goal. In the 60th minute, Godwin played a ball from the midfield that Jen Rincon flicked through the Rams' defense. Player seemed poised for a one-on-one with the keeper, but a VCU defender slid in at the last minute and poked the ball just wide of the goal.
UNCG had another outstanding opportunity with just over 15 minutes to play, as Hudson used her hands just outside of the box, giving the Spartans a free kick. Player lined and up a drilled a shot from the top of the 18 that sailed just high.
The Rams' best chance in the second half came in the 73rd minute, when Lauryn Hutchinson found herself wide open with the ball less than 10 yards from the goal. Her quick shot went high, however, keeping the score 1-0.
The first half was virtually even statistically, with UNCG holding a 6-5 advantage in shots and corner kicks even at one apiece.
The Spartans' best scoring chance in the opening stanza came with just 1:01 left in the frame, when Godwin unleashed a rocket shot from 25 yards out. The shot hit the left post and rebounded clear, however, leaving the game scoreless.
June Hartman had the Rams' only two shots on frame in the game, forcing a pair of easy saves from Kearney in the first 12 minutes.
Kearney picked up her 13th career shutout and second this season. Hudson took the tough loss, making one stop on the day.
The game was UNCG's fourth straight 1-0 affair. After a 1-0 win over No. 11 Duke, UNCG dropped back-to-back 1-0 contests to No. 1 North Carolina and Stanford. All five of UNCG's games this season have been decided by one goal, as the Spartans opened the campaign with a 2-1 loss to Wake Forest.
The Spartans return to action next weekend at the Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Va., when they will take on tournament host Virginia Tech at 5:30 p.m. Friday and Duquesne at noon Sunday.
STANFORD 5, VIRGINIA TECH 0 - Kristin Stannard recorded a hat trick as Stanford exploded for five goals in the final 35 minutes of the game, turning what had been a defensive struggle into a laugher in the first game of the UNCG Spartan Classic on Sunday.
Stannard came off the bench to score the final three goals for the Cardinal (5-0), who also got goals from Kelley O'Hara and Christen Press.
O'Hara got the scoring started with a well-placed header off a Press cross in the 56th minute. The two reversed roles in the 64th, with Press banging home an O'Hara feed for a 2-0 lead.
Then Stannard took over, first converting a Courtney Verloo pass in the 74th minute before hooking up with Morgan Redman on back-to-back goals to cap the scoring. Stannard's hat trick came in just 14:01 of game time.
Robin Chidester made 13 saves for the Hokies (3-2). Kira Maker had a save in 79:57 for Stanford, while Lindsay Dickerson worked the final 10:03 to lock up the shutout.
AGATE
Stanford (5-0) vs. Virginia Tech (3-2)
Date: Sep 06, 2009 Attendance: 123
Weather: 80 degrees, partly cloudy, 49 percent humidity
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
Stanford 0 5 5
Virginia Tech 0 0 0
SCORING SUMMARY:
1 55:43 STAN O'Hara, Kelley (6) (Press, Christen)
2 63:32 STAN Press, Christen (5) (O'Hara, Kelley)
3 73:45 STAN Stannard, Kristin (1) (Verloo, Courtney)
4 81:42 STAN Stannard, Kristin (2) (Redman, Morgan)
5 87:46 STAN Stannard, Kristin (3) (Redman, Morgan)
Shots: Stanford 27, Virginia Tech 3
Saves: Stanford 1 (Maker, Kira 1), Virginia Tech 14 (Robin Chidester 13; TEAM 1)
Corner kicks: Stanford 3, Virginia Tech 1
Fouls: Stanford 6, Virginia Tech 2
----
Va.Commonwealth (1-3) vs. UNC Greensboro (2-3)
Date: Sep 06, 2009 Attendance: 324
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
Va.Commonwealth 0 0 0
UNC Greensboro 0 1 1
SCORING SUMMARY:
1 61:32 UNCG Kristin Player (1) (Jenn Partenheimer) - cross from right side, chested down and
Shots: Va.Commonwealth 8, UNC Greensboro 12
Saves: Va.Commonwealth 1 (Hudson, Kate 1), UNC Greensboro 2 (Kelsey Kearney 2)
Corner kicks: Va. Commonwealth 3, UNC Greensboro 2
Fouls: Va. Commonwealth 7, UNC Greensboro 6
