Freshmen Duo Get ‘Cats Back on Winning Track in W. Soccer, 5-0

Sunday, September 6

Davidson, N.C.

4:00 p.m.

Davidson College

Francis Marion

Junior Callan Elswick knocked in her third career goal during the 'Cats 5-0 win.

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Freshmen Duo Get ‘Cats Back on Winning Track in W. Soccer, 5-0

9/6/2009 7:38:57 PM | Women's Soccer

Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID

Box Score

DAVIDSON, N.C. — The freshmen duo of Rachael Newmister (Clover, S.C.) and Rachel Barnett (Raleigh, N.C.) led a second-half charge by each tallying their first collegiate goals as the Wildcat women's soccer team picked up a 5-0 shutout win over visiting Francis Marion on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.

Davidson halted its three-game losing streak, improving to 2-3-0 as it earned its first home win of the season. Francis Marion fell to 0-6-0 on the year.

Newmister added her first career assist as well to pace the Wildcats in points with three, while senior Blakely Low (San Antonio, Texas), and the junior tandem of Allison Drutchas (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and Callan Elswick (Locust Grove, Va.) recorded a goal apiece in the winning effort.

Goalkeeper Loring Ward (Charleston, S.C.) registered four saves to earn her third career shutout as Davidson recorded its first shutout of the season.

After a tightly played first half, Newmister got the scoring going for the Wildcats as she forced an own goal by the Patriots in the 44th minute. A long through ball was sent down to the right side of the 18-yard box where three Patriot defenders tried to clear it, but the ball was knocked into the air. As the Patriots' Rachel Rubin attempted to head the ball to the keeper, Newmister also rose up, forcing the Patriot defender to misplay the ball, and it went right past the keeper and into the open net for the first score.

The 'Cats came out much more aggressive in the second half and were rewarded by drilling home the four second-half goals.

The scoring started in the 46th minute when Davidson earned a free kick just outside the 18-yard box on the left side. Drutchas took the kick and sent a low-liner to the far post for her first score of the season.

Ten minutes later, Low pushed the Wildcat lead to 3-0 when she raced past her defender in the center of the field and drove into the box, where she beat the Patriots' keeper for her second goal of the season and 13th of her career.

Barnett tallied her first career goal in impressive fashion, nailing it from long range during the 64th minute. The freshman defender squared up a 30-yard shot on the far side of the field and hit the ball to upper-right corner at the 64:33 mark to give Davidson a commanding 4-0 advantage.

Closing out the afternoon's scoring for Davidson was Elswick when she got a nicely led pass from Newmister and took a shot to the near post that found the back of the net for the final score of 5-0. A Patriot defender had a chance to stop the pass, but misplayed the feed, allowing Elswick to re-gather the ball and drive into the six-yard box.

Casey Durham of Francis Marion record 10 saves, making a couple of nice stabs during the first half when she helped keep the Patriots locked in a 0-0 tie with the Wildcats.

Davidson finished with a 27-7 advantage in shots, while also holding a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks. Of the 'Cats' 27 shots, 15 of them were on goal, while the Patriots put four on goal.

Looking to close out their three-game homestand with another win, Davidson turns its attention to cross-county rival Charlotte on Thursday, Sept. 10. Gametime is set for 7 p.m. It's also Youth Soccer Night and the first 200 children wearing their youth soccer jerseys will receive a giveaway courtesy of U.S. Youth Soccer.

Scoring Summary
44:13 DAV    Rachael Newmister (1) (unassisted)
46:39 DAV    Allison Drutchas (1) (unassisted)
56:52 DAV    Blakely Low (2) (unassisted)
64:33 DAV    Rachel Barnett (1) (unassisted)
84:41 DAV    Callan Elswick (1) (Newmister)