GREENSBORO, N.C. – No. 21 UNCG and College of Charleston played their usual tight contest, but the Spartans emerged victorious once again as Jaimey Etten and Tabitha Padgett scored in the 2-1 Southern Conference win Sunday.
The contest was the eighth straight between the two teams that was decided by just one goal. UNCG has won the last six.
With their eighth straight win overall, the Spartans improved their school-record start to 11-1-1, including a 6-0-0 mark in the SoCon. College of Charleston fell to 6-8-0, 3-3-0 in the league.
"It's good to be 6-0 in the conference, on top," UNCG coach Eddie Radwanski said. "We expected a tough game from Charleston because it's always a good game. We put our authority on it early, scored a great goal. Probably should have got another one and could have made the game a little easier to manage, but credit us for coming out in the second half and getting the second one. It was a little bit of a defensive lapse to concede a goal, but Charleston's not going to give up there. That's the kind of team that they are."
Padgett notched her fourth game-winning goal of the season in the 49th minute. After Jenn Partenheimer played a ball to Cat Barnekow in the midfield, Barnekow raced to the endline and sent a pass in front of the goal to Padgett. There, the reigning SoCon Co-Player of the Year one-timed it home to put UNCG on top 2-0 at that point.
Etten had the Spartans' first goal of the day, converting a Lauren Hein pass in the 17th minute. Etten passed the ball to Hein, who had her back to the goal at the top of the 18-yard box, and Hein tapped the ball back to Etten, who unleashed a rocket from 22 yards out into the upper left 90 for her second goal of the year.
The Cougars broke up the shutout in the 68th minute off a set piece. Maryam Buazza took a corner kick and found Amanda Raymond on the far side. Raymond finished it for her first goal of the season to draw CofC within a goal.
College of Charleston kept the pressure on, even putting another ball in the back of the net in the waning minutes, but Sarah Schaidle's goal was waved off for an offside violation by the Cougars.
UNCG had its chances for more, but was a bit unlucky. Jessi Gulledge headed a shot off the crossbar in the first half, while Padgett had her shot saved into the crossbar and out of play by CofC keeper Katie Tate just before halftime.
Padgett's goal was her seventh of the season and moved her point total to 19 on the year, matching what she put up as a freshman last season. Etten's goal pushed her season point total to a career-best nine, while Partenheimer's assist moved her to 11 points this year, matching her career high.
Kelsey Kearney made three saves in the net for UNCG, but will have to wait another game to try to set the school shutout record. Kearney matched the record with her 25th career shutout Friday night against The Citadel.
Tate made three saves for the Cougars, who have dropped three of their last four games after opening SoCon play 2-0-0.
UNCG held a 15-7 shot advantage on the afternoon and took 11 corner kicks to CofC's three. The Cougars came into the game leading the league with more than five per game.
The Spartans are now 7-0-0 at home on the season, and with just one more home game during the regular season and potentially one in the first round of the SoCon Championship, UNCG has a chance at setting a school record for home winning percentage. The existing mark of .889 was set in 1995 and matched in 2008, when UNCG went 8-1-0 at UNCG Soccer Stadium in both seasons.
UNCG returns to action on Friday, Oct. 15, when it will take on Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
AGATE
UNCG 2, CofC 1
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
Coll. of Charleston. 0 1 - 1
UNCG................ 1 1 - 2
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 16:07 UNCG Jaimey Etten (2) (Lauren Hein)
2. 48:17 UNCG Tabitha Padgett (7) (Cat Barnekow;Jenn Partenheimer)
3. 67:53 COFC Amanda Raymond (1) (Maryam Buazza)
Shots: Coll. of Charleston 7, UNCG 15
Saves: Coll. of Charleston 3 (Katie Tate 3), UNCG 3 (Kelsey Kearney 3)
Fouls: Coll. of Charleston 9, UNCG 8
Corner kicks: Coll. of Charleston 3, UNCG 11
Cards: YC – Fichman (CofC), 53:52; Bench (CofC), 60:00; Gautreaux (CofC), 77:19; Bench (CofC), 77:37 (CofC assistant coach Mike Barroquiero ejected)
- UNCG -
