Valdosta State wins 2014 GSC Women's Soccer Title
Click
HERE for the 2014 GSC Women's Soccer Tournament Homepage.
Pensacola, Fla. - Valdosta State won the 2014 GSC Women's Soccer Tournament Championship on Sunday at Brosnaham Park.
No. 1 North Alabama entered on an eight-game winning streak to take on No. 2 Valdosta State for the GSC Women's Soccer Tournament Final. The two last met in the 2011 final when UNA downed VSU, 5-3, which resulted in the Lions' first-ever GSC soccer crown.
The Blazers wasted no time in getting the scoring started when Zahimara Fantauzzi punched in the first score in the fifth minute. The goal marked the first UNA had allowed in seven-straight matches. In the 33rd minute, VSU once again scored. Lauren Ingram turned away from a defender to float one into the back of the net, just over UNA keeper Rachel Beninati's reach, to push the first-half score, 2-0.
Ingram scored her second goal of the match for the Blazers in the second half, an open netter in the 78th minute. The VSU defense locked down the high-scoring UNA offense in the second half and came away with a final score of 3-0.
For the second time this season, the Blazers' back line, including goalkeeper Olivia Mills, held NCAA scoring leader, UNA's Chloe Richards, goalless. VSU shutout UNA 1-0 earlier in the regular season. It was also the first time all season that UNA had allowed more than two goals in a game.
UNA outshot VSU 16-15, while both had six shots each on goal. Corners favored the Blazers, 6-3, while clean play all around resulted in no cards issued. Winning goalkeeper, Mills, turned away six shots en route to a clean sheet. Ingram was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Valdosta State improved to 11-6-2 on the season, while the win marked the first-ever GSC Tournament Championship in VSU soccer program history. Runner-up North Alabama fell to 14-3-1.
Both teams will now await the 2014 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament Selection Show, which is tentatively scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10, at 7 pm (ET).
2014 GSC Women's Soccer All-Tournament Team
April Syme, UWF
Georgia Bailey, UWF
Nicki Gears, UWA
Nina Coleman, UWA
Ellis Hillman, UNA
Stacey Webber, UNA
Allie Urbanek, UNA
Olivia Mills, VSU
Abbi Edwards, VSU
Shelby Jennings, VSU
Lauren Ingram, VSU (
Most Outstanding Player)