Sept. 28, 2007
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - Caitlin Dingle notched her first career hat trick and Annie Phillips and Maylee Attin-Johnson each added goals of their own as the Kennesaw State women's soccer team opened Atlantic Sun Conference play by defeating Stetson, 5-2, on Friday night at the KSU Soccer Complex.
"We worked all week on our offensive timing and finishing," said a pleased Owls head coach Rob King after the match. "We banged in five goals against a good Stetson squad that we tied 1-1 last season."
The Owls (6-2, 1-0 A-Sun) wasted very little time getting the scoring started as Dingle netted the first of her three goals just 44 seconds into the match. After midfielder Beth Meadors fed a beautiful ball into the 18 yd box from the right flank, Dingle gathered and fired a rocket to the lower left corner, securing the fastest goal in KSU history.
The Rockdale, Georgia product scored her second tally in the 32nd minute after another ball was passed into the penalty area.
Sara Clapham started the attack as she found Sarah Marek in the right corner, who made a cutback and fired an in-swinger right to Dingle. The Owls forward received the pass and fired a half-volley past Stetson keeper Andrea Garavaglia, putting KSU ahead 2-0 heading into halftime.
Phillips scored her fifth goal of the season after Meadors sent a ball over the top of the Hatters' (2-5-1, 0-1) defense, springing Phillips on a breakaway which she accurately finished to the left side of goal past a charging Garavaglia.
Despite the 3-0 lead, KSU looked rather sloppy in the back during the last 25 minutes, leading to the two Stetson goals. The first came in the 69th minute when a Hatters corner kick took a nasty deflection of KSU's Sadjr Williams and past keeper Katie Piotrowski.
"We looked pretty bad in the back tonight," added King. "I hope we can improve and get things straightened before Sunday's game with Florida Gulf Coast."
After Attin-Johnson's goal in the 74th minute put the Owls ahead 4-1, the Hatters came roaring back just three minutes later as Jennifer Hays scored her first goal of the season of a pass from Katie Bitetto.
But as great finishers tend to do, Dingle made sure there was no doubt by putting in her seventh goal of the season four minutes from full time.
Williams started the play by sending another long ball over the Stetson defense to Phillips who was streaking down the right side. After taking three touches and freezing the keeper, the Savannah, Georgia native found Dingle who quickly tapped the ball into the wide open net, securing her first three goal match in an Owl uniform.
The five goals scored by KSU are the most this season and the most since the Owls' 7-0 defeat of Tennessee Tech on October 27, 2006.
The Owls will go for their seventh straight win when they host conference newcomer Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
