Box score
HARTSVILLE, S.C. --- Meagan Thornton
(Millville, N.J.) tallied two goals and two assists to lead the
Lees-McRae College women's soccer team to a resounding 9-0 win over
Coker College on Saturday afternoon, as the Bobcats clinched the
Conference Carolinas regular season championship outright with
their program-record 11th league victory of the season.
Lees-McRae (12-2-1, 11-0 CC) outshot the Cobras (1-14-1, 1-8-1
CC) by a 26-3 margin, including a 17-0 advantage in the first half,
as nine Bobcats found their way onto the score sheet with at least
one point.
Thornton and Vickie Rich (Arlington Heights, Ill.) each notched
a brace for the Bobcats, as Mary Dorn (Shallotte, N.C.), Ally
Titsworth (Holmes Beach, Fla.), LeeAnn Sullivan (Greensboro, N.C.),
Samantha Arendt (Franklinton, N.C.), and Jessica Cardenas
(Bakersfield, Calif.) each scored a goal. Kerrigan notched a
team-high three assists, as Thornton added a pair of helpers. Dorn,
Rich, Alex Trujic (Venice, Fla.), and Jessica O'Leary (Millbury,
Mass.) each posted a helper. Kaitlyn Briggs (Oviedo, Fla.) and
Alicia Pierson (Brooksville, Fla.) each played one half between the
pipes, as Pierson made two saves.
Rich opened the scoring late in the 16th minute, finishing the
rebound off an initial shot from Thornton to give the Bobcats an
early 1-0 lead. Thornton doubled the margin to 2-0 in the 24th
minute, burying a cross from Rich into the lower corner for her
11th goal of the season. Dorn pushed the lead to 3-0 four minutes
later, nodding home a corner from Kerrigan to notch her third goal
of the campaign.
Thornton completed her brace early in the 31st minute, taking a
pass from O'Leary and beating the keeper for her team-leading 12th
goal of the season. Arendt sent the Bobcats into the interval with
a 5-0 lead midway through the 44th minute, scoring her first
collegiate goal off a cross from Kerrigan.
Titsworth stretched the margin to 6-0 less than a minute into
the second half, delivering a masterful one-touch finish off a
headed ball from Kerrigan following a Trujic cross. Sullivan pushed
the lead to 7-0 with her first career goal in the 77th minute,
firing a shot just over the keeper after a cross from Thornton.
Cardenas tallied her first goal of the campaign midway through the
80th minute, converting from the spot. Rich notched the final tally
of the afternoon four ticks into the 90th minute with a sliding
finish off a cross from Dorn.
Lees-McRae returns to the pitch on Tuesday when the Bobcats
travel to Gaffney, S.C. to take on Limestone College in their
regular season finale in conference play. Kickoff is slated for 1
p.m.
- LMC -
