SALISBURY, N.C. --- Catawba College shrugged off an early goal from Tusculum University and the 12th-ranked Indians went on to a 4-1 victory over the Pioneers in the quarterfinals of the South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer Championship tournament Saturday night.
The second-seeded Indians (15-2-2), who are the defending tournament champions, tied the match late in the first half and scored three goals in the final 27 minutes to advance to the semifinals against Wingate on Friday, Nov. 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Catawba outshot Tusculum 27-7 in the match and had a 15-2 edge in corner kicks over the Pioneers, who had just two shots on goal as a team.
The seventh-seeded Pioneers (9-4-5) had been unbeaten in nine straight matches since a 4-0 loss to the Indians on Sept. 24, and took a 1-0 lead on a goal from Taylor Youmans in the fifth minute. Sydney Jimmo tied the match with under four minutes left in the first half, and Kelly Havens delivered the tiebreaking goal with 26:20 to go before goals from Callie Hammond and Hannah Dunn iced the victory for the Indians.
Catawba had the first scoring chance in the third minute as Helen Summerell drove down the left side and rolled a shot in on Tusculum keeper Grayson Patterson from 15 yards.
The Pioneers went up 1-0 as Youmans took possession off a pass from Bailey Bylotas, maneuvered at the top of the box and put a shot past Catawba keeper Sierra Davis at 4:16 for her team-high seventh goal of the season.
Tusculum earned the first corner kick of the match in the 13th minute, and Sydney Grant's shot from the top of the box went just wide of the far post. Another corner kick in the 15th minute led to a shot from Trystan Wepking from the far right side that went just wide of the opposite corner.
Catawba won its first corner kick in the 22nd minute, but the service to the head of Havens was collected by Patterson for the save. Another corner for the Indians in the 25th minute resulted in a header just over the crossbar by Katie Beck. Catawba nearly tied the match in the 37th minute on a corner kick from Lillie Rusher that bounced through the box and almost crossed the goal line.
The Indians tied the score at 41:12 as a cross from Lejla Mehmedovic found Jimmo at the top of the box, and she curled a shot off the far post and in for her ninth goal of the season. Jimmo would have two more chances immediately following her goal, missing wide to the right and then high of the crossbar.
Tusculum had the first shot on goal of the second half, as an attempt from distance by Wepking was stopped by Davis for her first save of the night. Chayse Stonebraker had a scoring attempt off a Catawba turnover in the 57th minute, but her shot from 15 yards missed the near post.
Catawba would go up 2-1 in the 64th minute as a corner from Rusher was headed home at the far post by Havens for her fourth goal of the season at 63:40. Summerell nearly gave the Indians a two-goal lead in the 67th minute as she broke in past the defense, but her rising shot was collected by Patterson.
Patterson made her best saves of the evening in the 69th minute as a cross to Mehmedovic in the middle was knocked away on a dive, followed by back-to-back stops on attempts from Summerell and Dunn in the 70th minute.
The Indians would go up 3-1 in the 75th minute as a through ball from Summerell was challenged by Patterson 30 yards out, but Hammond won the ball and carried to the unguarded goal for her second of the season at 74:13.
Patterson would be tested again in the 76th minute as she denied Summerell from in close, and then on a back-post attempt from Hammond. Hahn almost tacked on a goal in the 78th minute, but her attempt from inside the six was wide of the near side.
Dunn added the insurance goal at 82:30 as she beat the Pioneer defense and deposited a shot through Patterson for her 15th goal of the season and a 4-1 Catawba lead, off a feed from Sharon Mayes.
Patterson finished with eight saves for the Pioneers, while Davis had one save for the Indians. Tusculum was whistled for 12 fouls to 11 by Catawba, and both teams were flagged once for offsides.
Despite starting five freshmen for most of the year, Tusculum finished with its fewest losses in a single season since dropping just three matches in 2012. Other than the two meetings with Catawba, the Pioneers did not allow more than two goals in any of their other 16 matches.
