October 13, 2010

AMERICUS, GA – The 25th-ranked North Georgia women's soccer team continued their dominance on Wednesday evening, scoring five second-half goals to sweep away Georgia Southwestern 7-0 at Hurricanes Field in Peach Belt Conference action.

The Lady Saints run their winning streak to 11 games, improving to 12-1 overall on the year and a perfect 6-0 in Peach Belt Conference action, while Georgia Southwestern falls to 2-10 on the season and 0-6 in league action.

The North Georgia offense was held in check for most of the opening period, but the Lady Saints did break through in the 19th minute as Danielle Brannan recorded her third goal of the year, a shot from 15 yards out off a pass from Samantha Abrahart to make it a 1-0 game.

Emily Dover added to the scoring in the 28th minute, taking a pass from Emily Bowen and scoring from five yards out to make it a 2-0 North Georgia lead heading into intermission.

The Hurricanes' defense then went to work, holding the Lady Saints scoreless for the first 31 minutes of the second half, but Kelsey Martin found the back of the net in the 77th minute, scoring from nine yards out on a pass from Leanne South for her sixth score of the season.

The goal from Martin opened up the doors for four more goals in the final minutes as Brannan recorded her second goal of the game in the 82nd minute off an assists from Lauren Schenk to make it 4-0.

Bowen then made it 5-0 in the 83rd minute, while Sara Kate Rogers and Caroline Wallace punched home goals in the final seconds to give the Lady Saints their largest margin of victory since an 8-0 victory over the Hurricanes in 2008.

The defense gave Jessica English her second shutout of the year and sixth victory of the season in goal as the senior faced just one shot, which was off target. The Lady Saints held a 31-1 edge in shots, while blanking GSW 11-0 in corners.

In the all-important first edition of the NCAA Region polls, North Georgia finds themselves ranked 2nd in the Southeast, only behind their only loss of the year to Belmont Abbey. Armstrong Atlantic, Columbus State, and UNC Pembroke round out the top five in that order.

North Georgia will have to put the seven-goal victory in the rearview mirror as the Lady Saints prepare for a top-25 Peach Belt Conference showdown at 7th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff against the Pirates is set for 4:00 p.m. at AT&T Field.