Sept. 15, 2007
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - After dominating the first half only to be in the midst of a scoreless tie, the Owls erupted for three second half goals and freshman goalkeeper Katie Piotrowski recorded her first collegiate shutout as Kennesaw State blanked Jacksonville State, 3-0, on Friday evening.
Kennesaw State (3-2) won their third consecutive match and moved over .500 for the first time this season as the Black and Gold posted their first shutout of the young season. Jacksonville State dropped to 1-4 on the season.
Caitlin Dingle and Annie Phillips each scored their third goals of the season and Sara Clapham scored KSU's middle goal with a penalty kick in the 79th minute. Clapham became just the second player in Kennesaw State history to score on a penalty kick. Katrina Hirsch had been the lone KSU player to successfully make a penalty kick.
After posting 17 shots in the first half and four in the first fifteen minutes, it was evident that the Owls offense was superior to the Gamecocks defense. Midway through the first half, Beth Meadors launched a 25-yard shot that smacked off the post while JSU keeper Kate Kelly was forced into nine saves.
Kelly was pressured in the 10th minute on a shot by freshman Savannah Duet in which she recorded her first save. The Owls then came up with a strong attack in the 13th minute when Dingle and Clapham came up with solid shots.
"We had our chances in the first half, but weren't able to finish," said Kennesaw State head coach Rob King. "We did play well in the second half, took our chances and were able to finish."
Dingle got things going quickly in the second half when she took a pass from Duet and ripped a 15-yard blast to the top left post in the 51st minute for a 1-0 KSU lead.
The Owls second goal came in the 79th minute on Clapham's penalty kick. The goal materialized after Maylee Attin-Johnson sliced through a bevy of Gamecock defenders during a 25-yard spurt that ended when a JSU defender pulled down Attin-Johnson by her jersey as she was making contact on what appeared to be the Owls second goal.
In the 87th minute, Phillips put home the Owls final goal of the match when she took a pass from Dingle, touched twice and slipped the ball past a rushing Kelly for the final margin.
"Our defense played extremely well tonight," added King on the back four. "We were strong in the first half and really increased the pressure in the second half."
Kennesaw State will be back in action when they open up a four-match home stand with a battle against UAB on Friday evening, September 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the KSU Soccer Complex.
