BOONE, N.C. – Freshman Kristen Schmidbauer's second-half goal was all No. 19 UNCG needed in a 1-0 win over Appalachian State on Sunday, making the Spartans the first team in Southern Conference history to win five consecutive outright regular-season titles.
The win was UNCG's 12th straight, matching the school record set from Sept. 27, 2007, through Nov. 9, 2007.
The Spartans improved to 15-1-1 overall and 10-0-0 in the SoCon this season. UNCG clinched at least a share of the title with Thursday's win over Western Carolina, but needed one more win or a loss by The Citadel to assure itself of the outright title. Furman won five straight SoCon titles from 1999-2003, but shared the 2001 title with UNCG and Western.
App fell to 5-8-4 overall and 2-5-3 in the league.
With the game scoreless in the second half, a pair of rookies put UNCG ahead. Freshman Kory Spotts picked up her second assist of the season in the 62nd minute, when she found her classmate Schmidbauer, who put away the chance for her seventh goal of the season.
The Spartans were active on offense all day, taking 18 shots and putting 13 of them on frame. App keeper Carolina Clarke had a busy day, making 12 saves. Two of them came in quick succession, as she saved Tabitha Padgett's follow attempt in the 76th minute after saving Padgett's initial shot.
UNCG peppered Clarke and the App defense late in the game, as the Spartans forced six stops by Clarke in less than 10 minutes toward the latter part of the contest.
The Spartans also had the run of play in the first half, outshooting App 8-3 and getting off six corner kicks to just one for the Mountaineers. Four of the UNCG corners came in a span of just over two minutes, but the Spartans were unable to put one away.
For the game, UNCG held an 18-5 shot advantage and a 9-1 edge in corner kicks.
Junior keeper Kelsey Kearney made three saves for her ninth shutout of the season and 28th of her career, moving her into a tie for second in SoCon history.
Kearney made saves on shots by Hannah Coad in the sixth minute and Meggie Graham in the 42nd before making her final one on another Graham attempt with just three seconds left in the contest to preserve the shutout.
UNCG improved to 15-1-0 against the Apps all-time with its 10th straight win in the series.
The Spartans return to action Wednesday at Elon, when they will try to complete their fourth unbeaten league slate in the last five seasons. UNCG is 48-2-2 in SoCon regular-season play since 2006, with both of those losses coming last season. Wednesday's contest is slated for a 7 p.m. start in Elon, N.C.
AGATE
UNCG 1, App State 0
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
UNCG................ 0 1 - 1
Appalachian State... 0 0 - 0
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 61:06 UNCG Kristen Schmidbauer (7) (Kory Spotts)
Shots: UNCG 18, Appalachian State 5
Saves: UNCG 3 (Kelsey Kearney 3), Appalachian State 12 (Caroline Clarke 12)
Corner kicks: UNCG 9, Appalachian State 1
Fouls: UNCG 6, Appalachian State 9
- UNCG -
