Oct. 31, 2007
Box Score
MACON, Ga. - It was a Happy Halloween indeed for the Kennesaw State women's soccer team as the Owls scored twice in a three minute span to defeat Mercer, 3-1, en route to winning their second straight Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title on Wednesday night at Bear Field.
With the victory, KSU closes the regular season with a 10-1 conference mark and a 15-3 record overall. Mercer falls to 11-6-1 and 9-2 in league play to finish in second place.
"This was a great win for the girls," said an excited Owls' head coach Rob King. "It's great to be back-to-back conference champs."
Maylee Attin-Johnson started the scoring spree in the 68th minute off a pass from Sara Clapham. After beating a defender down the left side, the Trindad and Tobago native cut towards the left and fired a rocket towards the bottom right corner, beating Mercer's Jean Worts for her fifth goal and second game-winner of the season.
Caitlin Dingle capped the quick attack by netting her 15th goal of the season after scoring from outside the box after taking a pass from Annie Phillips to put the Owls ahead 3-1 with just under 20 minutes to play. From there it was the KSU defense that shined and secured the match by holding firm against the all-out Mercer attack.
"Despite the big victory tonight, we have learned from last year that there is much work still to be done to achieve all our goals for this season," added King.
Phillips, who closes the season tied as the A-Sun's leading scorer with 16 goals, gave the Owls an early 1-0 lead 11 minutes in when she finished Sarah Marek's cross from six yards out.
Stefani Campbell knotted the match at 1-1 five minutes after halftime by knocking home a rebound off the left post. Heather Manting had the initial shot that rang off the woodwork and Campbell quickly gathered it and put a shot past Katie Piotrowski for her second goal of the season.
The Owls keeper finished with four saves on the evening to secure her 14th win on the season. Worts closed the match with four saves of her own.
Dingle led the Owls with four shots in the match, while Attin-Johnson, Clapham and Phillips each had two apiece. Mercer slightly outshot KSU, 11-10, paced by three players with two attempts at goal.
With the win, the Owls locked up the top seed, while Mercer will enter as the No. 2 team, in next week's conference tournament to be held at the KSU Soccer Complex. Both teams will receive a bye and begin play on Thursday, November 8.
