DAHLONEGA, GA - The Lenoir-Rhyne women's soccer team found a way on Friday, taking down #3 seeded Columbus State 1-0 in the NCAA Tournament first round.
Ava Hartman's goal was the difference in the game, as she rocketed in a shot from 15 yards out in the first half.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 1, Columbus State 0
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne 11-4-3, Columbus State 14-6-1
Location: Dahlonega, Ga. | UNG Soccer Complex
STATS OF THE MATCH:
- Lenoir-Rhyne were the aggressors early, putting up four shots before Columbus State got off one.
- Kennedy Flowers nearly scored within five minutes, but her low shot was saved by CSU's Heidi Harris.
- Ava Hartman scored her sixth goal of the year in the 21st minute, putting the Bears up 1-0.
- Columbus State fought hard in the second half, out shooting the Bears 6-1.
- Sophomore Riley Miller stepped up, making multiple big saves late to preserve the lead.
STATS OF THE GAME:
- Riley Miller finished the game with six saves, three in each half.
- Ava Hartman led with three shots.
- Columbus State out shot the Bears 11-6 and held a 6-2 edge in shots on goal.
- Both teams had 11 fouls.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Lenoir-Rhyne has advanced past the first round of the NCAA tournament in seven of their 12 appearances.
- This was their first win over the Cougars in the NCAA tournament since a 1-0 victory during their 2010 quarterfinal run.
- Justin Maullin is the fifth coach in program history to win an NCAA tournament game.
UP NEXT: The Bears will face #2 seeded North Georgia on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. The Nighthawks, playing on their home turf, defeated Anderson 3-1 this afternoon to book their ticket to the second round. The all time series between LR and UNG is tied a 4-4-2. The lone NCAA tournament game between these two teams took place in 2014, a 2-2 tie that ended in a 4-3 victory in PK's for the Bears. These teams met once this year, a 4-0 win for North Georgia in Hickory.
