GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Lenoir-Rhyne's Audrey Moore recorded a goal and two assists to lead the Bears to a 3-1 victory over host Tusculum College Saturday night at the Niswonger Sports Complex / Pioneer Field in women's soccer action.
With the win, Lenoir-Rhyne (13-2-1, 8-1-0 SAC) claims a share of the 2010 South Atlantic Conference Championship as the Bears capture the program's first SAC title in school history.
Both teams will be in action next week for the quarterfinal round of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament. Official brackets and pairings will be announced by the league office later this weekend.
LRU got on the scoreboard first in the 32nd minute as Casey McDonnell notched her first goal of the year as she took a crossing pass from Moore and blasted a shot from the top of the penalty box past TC keeper Rachael Jennings for a 1-0 lead.
The score would remain that way for the rest of the period, but the Pioneers had a great scoring chance with 15 seconds left in the half as Tramicka James headed a shot to the far post, but LRU keeper Caitlin Scruggs made a brilliant save on the line to preserve the one-goal advantage.
In the 56th minute, Elizabeth Hawes took a through ball from Moore in the box and one-timed a shot to the back of the net for a 2-0 lead. For Hawes, it was her sixth goal of the season.
After assisting on the first two goals, Moore connected on a scoring tally of her own as she gathered in a crossing pass from the goal line from Hawes and deposited the ball inside the near post for her fourth goal of the season and a 3-0 lead.
The Pioneers (8-8-1, 3-5-1 SAC) answered in the 78th minute when James scored her 16th goal of the season to cut the deficit to 3-1. But Tusculum would get off only one more shot for the remainder of the match as the Bears held on for the victory.
James' 16 goals are tied for the sixth most in Tusculum single-season history, while her 27 career scoring tallies are already seventh on the school's all-time scoring list for the TC sophomore. She has scored a goal in seven of her last eight outings and has posted at least a point in eight straight matches.
Scruggs records the win in goal as she recorded four saves, while Jennings accounted for seven stops in her 70:30 of play. TC's Kelsey Cunningham close out the match for the Pioneers, as she recorded 19:30 of shutout soccer, while tallying a save.
Lenoir-Rhyne out-shot the Pioneers by a 15-8 margin with the corner kicks tied at 3-3.
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