Davidson W. Soccer Starts Season Off on Winning Note, 3-1

Saturday, August 22

Rock Hill, S.C.

7:30 p.m.

Davidson College Athletics

Winthrop

Sophomore Stephanie Gerow started the 2009 season with a goal and assist.

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Davidson W. Soccer Starts Season Off on Winning Note, 3-1

8/22/2009 10:51:30 PM | Women's Soccer

Gavin McFarlin- Assistant SID

Box Score

ROCK HILL, S.C. — The Davidson women's soccer team started the 2009 season off in winning fashion behind a goal and assist from sophomore Stephanie Gerow (Houston, Texas), as the Wildcats scored a 3-1 season-opening road win at Winthrop on Saturday evening.

The Wildcats (1-0) improved to 4-2 in season opening wins under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Greg Ashton, and tallied their second win in the all-time series vs. the Eagles.

Beside Gerow's goal and her first collegiate assist, senior Lauren Conner (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) set up two goals on corner kicks, and Blakely Low (San Antonio, Texas) and Amanda Flink (Houston, Texas) each netted their first scores of the season.

Davidson came out running right at the Winthrop defense, getting off two direct shots on goal in the first two minutes with Gerow hitting the cross bar and senior Kyri Bye-Nagel (Hanau, Germany) having her attempt stopped on a diving effort by the Eagles' goalkeeper.

The 'Cats would not be denied on their third shot as they capitalized on a corner kick in the fourth minute. Senior Lauren Conner (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) sent the ball into the six-yard box where Gerow touched it to Flink, who then headed the pass into the back of the net for the first score of the game.

Gerow and the Wildcats wasted no time in the second half pushing their lead out to 2-0, connecting three minutes into the new half. They made it two-for-two on corner kicks when Conner sent a nice ball to the far side of the box where Gerow took it out of the air and headed in her fourth career goal in the 47th minute.

Seven minutes later, Low got in on the scoring with some stellar foot work. After Bye-Nagel passed off the ball just outside the 18-yard box, Low dribbled through three defenders in the middle of the box and chipped the ball to the far post off the hand of Kelsy Weavil in goal for a 3-0 advantage.

Winthrop broke through in the 57th minute as Jessica Hausfeld sent a long through ball to the far side of the field, where Tricia Vensel raced past her defender and met up with the pass. She drove in and fired a shot to the near post past a diving Jessie Baxa (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) to make the sore 3-1.

Davidson's defense took care of the rest, halting a couple of corner kick opportunities by Winthrop and shutting out the Eagles to earn the 3-1 win.

Baxa and senior Loring Ward (Charleston, S.C.) combined for a save apiece, while Winthrop's Weavil finished with seven.

Davidson held a 16-6 advantage in the shot column and had five corners.

The Wildcats stay on the road with a trip to N.C. State next Friday evening, Aug. 28, at 7:30 p.m. The two schools last played each other in 2007.

Scoring Summary
4:05     DAV   Amanda Flink (1) (Stephanie Gerow, Lauren Conner)
47:41   DAV   Stephanie Gerow (1) (Lauren Conner)
54:16   DAV   Blakey Low (1) (Kyri Bye-Nagel)
57:55   WU    Tricia Vensel (Jessica Hausfeld)