No. 4 Campbell Defeats No. 5 Radford, Advances to Semifinals
Shelby Denkert netted the game-winning goal in the second minute of play to lead the Campbell University (10-6-2, 5-2-2) women's soccer team over Radford (11-7-0, 4-5-0) on Saturday night at the Eakes Athletics Complex.
This is the fourth consecutive year in which the Fighting Camels have advanced to the semifinal round of the Big South Championship. With the victory, CU now has a five-game winning streak against Radford and has not conceded a RU goal since Oct. 12, 2016.
Denkert started off the Camels scoring with a goal in the second minute of play off a corner kick delivered by
Shannon Wratchford. The junior from Spotsylvania, Va., picked up a goal of her own in the 55th minute of play to extend CU's lead to 2-0.
Erin Scott played a spectacular game between the posts, facing an onslaught of 24 shots by the Highlanders and not letting a single one into the back of the net. Scott tipped two fantastic shots by the RU attack over the crossbar in the 65th and 67th minutes of play to preserve the clean sheet for CU.
The Camels got off to a quick start, as they took a 1-0 lead off a corner kick opportunity in the second minute of play. Wratchford delivered the kick into the box, and
Shelby Denkert delivered a header into the back of the net.
CU was on the defensive during the remainder of the first half, as the Highlanders fired away 10 consecutive shots, including six on goal.
In a flurry of offensive action during the 21st minute of play, Radford registered three successive shots within three seconds. Jasmine Casarez shot the first two, one of which was blocked by the CU defense and the other which clanked off the top crossbar. Ana Revollo followed with a shot of her own that was saved by Scott.
Campbell came out of the halftime break with energy, controlling possession in the attacking third during the opening minutes. The Camels took advantage of a corner kick opportunity to extend the lead to 2-0 and put the game out of reach for Radford.
Wratchford delivered a corner kick to in the 55th minute of play to
Siara Southerland, who passed back to Wratchford. She then spun to avoid a defender and fired away a cross that went over the head of RU goalkeeper Lexi Dean and into the back of the net.
Scott's first big save of the night came in the 65th minute of play, as she tipped Nicole Ray's shot onto the crossbar and out of play. She had another key save in the 67th minute, punching Jessica Wollmann's shot to the left crossbar.
Kylee Arno nearly put the Camels up 3-0 in the 76th minute of play off a cross into the box by
Alexa Genas. Arno slid to the far post but narrowly missed getting her foot on Genas' cross.
In the 84th minute, Radford's Nelia Perez had a good scoring opportunity, as she fired away a powerful shot from just outside the box. Once again, Scott came up with a huge save to keep the Highlanders' off of the scoreboard.
The Campbell defense faced 24 shots by the Radford attack over the course of match but held strong to record its ninth shutout of the 2017 season.
The Orange and Black fired away just three shots on Saturday, but CU connected on 66 percent of them. RU also held a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal and held a 9-4 lead in corner kicks.
Up next, the Fighting Camels will face off against top-ranked High Point in the Big South semifinal on Friday at 4 p.m. at Bryan Park in Greensboro, N.C.