A corner kick in the 50th minute proved to be the difference
Friday, as Campbellsville University knocked off King College, 2-1, in the
National Christian College Athletic Association Mid-East Region Semifinal in
Lookout Mountain, Ga.
"King's a very good team. They were ranked seventh in the
nation in the NCCAA, and we stepped up and played the way I know how we can
play. We haven't played that way in a while," said CU head coach Thom Jones.
Katie Henderson headed in the winning goal off a corner kick
from Cassie Yannelli to extend the lead, 2-0, five minutes into the second
half. It was the second goal of the season for Henderson, a freshman defender
from Hartford, Ky., and the Lady Tigers' first to be scored off a corner kick.
"That's why I put her up there, because she's not afraid to
use her head. We just started putting her up there a few games ago, and it paid
off," Jones said.
Campbellsville's first goal came on a breakaway by Laura
Swencki in the eighth minute. She finished the game with three shots on goal.
"It was really nice to set the tone and get our team
confident early in the game," said Swencki, a senior from Lebanon, Ky.
"We wanted to come out hard," Jones said. "I think they took
us lightly, and I wanted to set the tone that we weren't going to go down easy.
That goal sent a message that this was going to be a good game."
King was forced to play with 10 players for the final eight
minutes after goalkeeper Lauren Fritts ejected for rough play. Fritts came out
of the box and tripped Megan Campbell on a sliding tackle to break up an open
shot on goal.
King added its goal on a penalty kick by Pua Coffman with
four minutes left to play. CU did not allow another shot on goal the rest of
the game, as freshman goalkeeper Erin Grimsley of Elizabethtown, Ky., got her
first win for the Lady Tigers in goal.
The win was also the program's first in a national postseason
play and Jones' 100th as a head coach at both the high school and
college level combined.
|
CU head coach Thom Jones talks to
the team before Friday's game. |
"What a way to get to 100 to win a postseason game, but there's
one more day to go," Jones said.
However, the win was not as enjoyable for Jones, who was
ejected in the 80th minute of the game after arguing a call. He will
sit out the Mid-East Regional Final on Saturday.
CU (12-7-2) meets host school Covenant College (7-7-3) in
the NCCAA Mid-East Championship at 1 p.m. Saturday at Covenant's Scotland Yard.
A Lady Tigers' win will break the program's record for wins and send CU to its
first NCCAA National Tournament to be played Dec. 2-5 in Kissimmee, Fla.
PHOTO GALLERYSTATS
