GREENSBORO, N.C. - Eliza Radoll picked an opportune match to score the first goal of her career, as the Spartan defender delivered a 75th minute tally to lift UNCG women's soccer past visiting Chattanooga for a 1-0 shutout win on Thursday. The Spartans' win moves the side into fourth in the current SoCon standings, where if their placing holds out, would put them in the final spot in this year's SoCon Championship tournament. 

Neither side sat back in this week's matchup with the Spartans and Mocs combining for eight shots in the opening 20 minutes. Midfielder Quiqui Hita nearly delivered the first tally of the night during that 20th minute on a shot that rang off the crossbar. Surrounded by Moc defenders, Hita drove a ball through the UTC defense from nearly 25 yards out on her second attempt of the night. Aided in part by some high winds, Hita's ball fooled the Chattanooga keeper as the attempt rebounded eight yards off a still-shaking crossbar, coming within inches of a right upper-90 finish.

The Spartans weren't afraid to get physical with their opponents on Thursday, committing six fouls in the opening 45 minutes and 11 on the night. UNCG's dedication to the physical side of the game helped to slow a Mocs offense that repeatedly attempted to get in behind the Spartan defense, as the visitors managed four shots in the first half, only one of which reached its target. 

Both sides traded shots in the opening 30 minutes of half number two, but it was Radoll who opened the scoring in the 75th minute on a set piece opportunity.

Winning their fourth corner of the match, UNCG's Kaley Tucker placed a ball just out of reach of the Moc keeper at the edge of the six-yard box. Making a run from the back side of the 18, Radoll beat her mark and rose over three other UTC defenders to get her head on a ball that was tucked just under the crossbar for the first finish of the night and the first marker of the sophomore defender's career.

The Spartans nearly doubled their lead a little more than three minutes later with forward Maddy Gilhool receiving a ball on a back post run, but her shot would go just wide of the bottom left corner. Gilhool entered the contest with goals in each of her last two contests, and came within less than a yard of her third in a row. 

Radoll's tally held out through the final 15 minutes, as the UNCG defense absorbed the increased pressure from the Mocs, who despite leading those final moments in possession, were unable to direct a single shot on target before the final whistle. 

The final read 1-0 in favor of the home team at the 90-minute whistle for the Spartans' fifth clean sheet of 2021. The three points gained from Thursday's win moves the Spartans into fourth in the SoCon standings ahead of Mercer, who was locked in a battle with Western Carolina at the publishing of this article. 

Another win this Saturday against Samford would clinch a postseason spot for UNCG in this spring's SoCon Championship tournament. The Spartans could still potentially clinch a seed with a loss to the Bulldogs, dependent upon the results of Thursday's Mercer match, and the results of Wofford's final contest of the regular season against Furman.

>>> The Spartans are currently on a three-match winning streak, tying with top-ranked Samford as the hottest team in the SoCon presently. The UNCG defense is riding back-to-back shutout wins and have neglected to allow a goal in the past 268 minutes of regulation
>>> UNCG keeper Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper made five saves in her fifth clean sheet of the season. Her career numbers of 251 stops and 19 shutouts has her ranked sixth and tied for fifth in program history for those respective categories
>>> Only two other teams have shutout Chattanooga in 2021, Samford and Furman, the two top-ranked teams in the current SoCon standings. The Spartans' clean sheet win ended a three-match streak of 1-0 wins for the Mocs

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