HICKORY, N.C.-- Ava Hartman's goal in the 80th minute sent the Bears to the SAC Semis next Friday night as LR avenged an early season tie to take down Limestone 1-0 on Saturday evening in Hickory. The Bears will face six-seed Anderson at 8:00 pm in the semis after the Trojans upset Catawba earlier in the day. The Bears will continue their quest for their second straight SAC Tournament Championship as the tournament will continue in Matthews, N.C. where the SAC will host the semi-finals and finals.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 1, Limestone 0
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (11-1-5), Limestone (5-8-3)
Location: Moretz Sports Athletic Complex
I Hickory, N.C.
STATS OF THE MATCH:
- LR dominated the first half with 12 shots, including six on goal, compared to just one shot for Limestone.
- After both teams had a few chances in the second half, Bears finally broke through when Kara Gavaghan set up Hartman fpr a goal in the 81st minute.
- The Bears had 21 shots in the contest compared to just three for the Saints.
- Riley Miller made two second half saves in goal.
- The Saints did not have a single corner kick in this game while LR had 8.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- This was Lenoir-Rhyne's 35th SAC tournament victory.
- This is the third all-time meeting in the SAC Tournament between the schools. Bears are now 2-1 in that series.
- Bears defeated Limestone in 2021 in the Quarterfinals but Limestone upset the Bears in the SAC Semifinals in 2022.
- Hartman's goal was her 8th of the season.
UP NEXT: The SAC Semi-Finals will take place in Matthews, North Carolina next Friday night at 8 p.m. Prior to LR vs. Anderson, top seeded Wingate will meet Lincoln Memorial in the top portion of the bracket.
