#4 Radford Gets Past #1 USC Upstate, 3-2 to Advance to Championship Final
By Radford Athletics
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Radford women's soccer team played an all-time thriller of a match and came away victorious, pulling a shocking upset over Big South regular-season champions USC Upstate to eliminate the Spartans in the conference semifinals, 3-2.
KEY FACTS
* Senior defender Caitlyn Nottingham netted the game-winner on a header in the 77th minute, putting the Highlanders ahead for good. Mallory Harmison added the assist on the feed off the corner kick.
* Ciaira Anderson came alive on the attack, scoring from inside the box in the first half and off a free kick in the second to record her first postseason brace.
* Ava Kertgate drew a breakaway foul that resulted in a red card being shown by Upstate's Danielle Trovato in the 52nd minute.
* The victory is Radford's sixth straight. The win also snapped USC Upstate's 12-game unbeaten streak and was their first loss to a conference opponent in the season.
* Lexi Radvanyi made three saves in the win while facing a barrage of 17 total shots.
* Despite being outshot 17-9, Radford finished with more shots on goal (7-5).
* Including Radford's upset loss to High Point in the semifinals last season, the win makes it back-to-back seasons the top seed will not advance to the tournament championship.
* With the win, the Highlanders advance to their 11th Big South championship match and will play for their 10th conference tournament title.
PLAY BY PLAY
The Highlanders returned to County University Soccer Stadium with unfinished business – their first contest against USC Upstate back on September 19 ended in a suspended game and was eventually declared a conference forfeit. Both sides came in as hot as could be, with Upstate having run through the regular season with just two losses, and Radford having won each of their last five games.
Neither side saw any opportunities early, with both teams playing conservatively and trying to maintain possession through the first 15 minutes. The first chances went to the Spartans but were defended quite well by the Highlanders. USC Upstate won a few free kicks and sent a handful of crosses into the box, but defenders Nottingham and Hope Ku-Dipietro made plays to prevent any good chances.
Anderson eventually found some space and broke free into the top of the USC Upstate box. It initially appeared that the hosts had enough white shirts on the attacker, but the junior somehow sprung a shot out of the group that snuck past Spartans goalkeeper Hannah Wilt for an opening goal in the 19th minute.
After a review for a potential foul before the attack, the goal stood. It was short lived, however, as the Spartans capitalized from a foul inside the box. Annabelle Wunderlich struck the penalty kick and sent it right as Radvanyi guessed left, evening the contest at 1-1 with over 15 minutes left in the half.
Neither team took an advantage into halftime, with Radford defending off a corner kick and Anderson logging a couple of shots on goal, including one that trickled just wide of the right post in the 31st minute. The stats were quite even after 45, with both teams getting two shots on goal and each goalkeeper making one save.
It didn't take long for a defining moment to occur in the second half. Radford intercepted a Spartan throw, and Kertgate made a perfectly-timed run through the back defenders to catch USC Upstate off guard. The senior had a one-on-one against the goalkeeper just outside the box before she was fouled hard from behind by defender Trovato. She received a red card for her efforts, limiting the Spartans to 10 players the rest of the way.
The foul set up Anderson to take a free kick from about 21 yards away. Her shot sliced over the Spartan wall and into the net for her second goal that made it 2-1 with 40 minutes left in regulation.
Despite being shorthanded, USC Upstate went right back on the attack. Radvanyi made a pair of saves within a handful of minutes after the Highlanders' second go-ahead goal. The Spartans eventually broke through, as Wunderlich received a fortunate bounce off a deflection in the box to strike and score her second goal of the night with just under 15 minutes left.
The Highlanders would not be denied after losing a second lead. Anderson went back to work, dribbling in the corner and earning a corner kick on the ensuing possession. Harmison took the kick, and her cross found Nottingham's noggin perfectly just outside the goal area. The senior defender scored her second goal of the season and second off a corner kick in the biggest moment possible, putting Radford up 3-2 with 13 minutes left.
Sarena Keo nearly made it a two-goal with a shot on target in the 83rd minute, but Hannah Wilt made a diving stop to prevent Radford's chance at icing the game. The Spartans won a free kick in the attacking half in the 88th minute, but Cansu Kara's attempt sailed high of the crossbar. Wunderlich came extremely close to tying the game once again in the 89th minute, but her feed sailed high after the cross, and Radford held on to earn a spot back in the Big South tournament championship.
Radford plays at UNC Asheville in the Big South Championship on Sunday, November 15th at 1:00 p.m. The contest will also air live on ESPN+.