Boxscore (PDF)

BOONE, N.C. – Midfielder Tinna Bergthorsdottir (Reykjavik, Iceland/Menntaskolinn Vid Sund) scored the golden goal with a 1:53 left in double overtime to propel UNCG women's soccer to a 3-2 Southern Conference comeback victory Friday night at the ASU Soccer Stadium.  

With the victory the Spartans improve to 4-5 overall and a 1-0 record in the SoCon. UNCG is a perfect 16-0 in conference openers since joining the SoCon in 1997. The Blue and Gold also have won 16-straight road conference games dating back to 2009 when the Spartans lost 2-1 at Davidson.

"Anytime you can get a victory like this in the first game of the conference it is massive for the team's confidence," said head coach Steve Nugent. "Our team responded in the second half after going down 2-0 but we answered right back with a goal. Zoe scored a huge goal for us late and Tinna added the game winner on a amazing assist from Stokes."

With just four minutes left in the contest, senior Karin Sendel (Kiryat Tivon, Israel/Ort Kiryat Bialik) found freshman Zoe Fishman (Woodland Hills, Calif./El Camino Real Charter) inside the box and Fishman fired a left-footer strike to tie the game at 2-2.

In overtime, the Spartans had two shots in the first overtime and made their only shot in the second overtime count. Bergsthorsdottir received a perfect pass off the head of sophomore Ashley Stokes (Cary, N.C./Green Hope) and finished the game-winning goal.

UNCG scored three unanswered goals and outshot the Mountaineers 20-to-16 in the game.  

Just 12 minutes into the second half, Appalachian State scored its second goal of the game off a breakaway from Meggie Graham. Graham raced down the field and beat the keeper one-on-one for the strike. 

The Spartans answered less than a minute later as Sendel placed a nice through ball to Stokes who buried home her second goal of the season to cut the lead to 2-1.

In the first half, Appalachian State took the lead after Sam McVeigh lofted a ball that Jenna Caudle got a piece of and went over the head of freshman goalkeeper Jamie Simmons (Houston, Texas/Clear Brook HS) to give the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead.

Fishman finished the half with two shots, including one on goal in the 22^nd minute.

The Spartans controlled most of the possession in the first half but were unable to find the equalizer ending with five shots. Sendel blasted a shot that hit the crossbar in the 40^th minute followed by a header attempt that hit the crossbar as well from freshman Chesney White (Franklin, Tenn./Franklin).

UNCG returns home for its conference home opener against Western Carolina Sunday at 2 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.  

Be sure to follow all updates about the 2012 UNCG women's soccer team on www.uncgspartans.com or on twitter @UNCGsports.

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