COLUMBUS - Needing a win to secure their sixth straight Peach Belt Conference regular season title, the 11^th ranked Columbus State women's soccer team got a great defensive performance to blank Flagler 1-0 Saturday afternoon at the Walden Soccer Complex.

Both sides came out trying to possess the ball and get a rhythm to the game.  Neither team threatened much in the early portion of the contest and then the Lady Cougars pounced on their opportunity.  Ashley Miller came into the game for CSU and made several good runs up the left flank putting the Flagler defense under duress.  Finally, Columbus State was able to crack through with a goal that started with Jordan McKenzie playing a ball over the top to Miller.  The freshman beat the defender on a great move and served the ball into the box.  Stephanie Lowery brought the ball down and found the back of the net for the only goal of the contest at the 32:22 mark.

CSU went into the half up 1-0 and came out trying to put the game away right from the start of the second half.  Stephanie Parrish broke in behind the Flagler defense but a great save by Cristina Coca denied the senior.  The rebound went straight to Leslie Mathews whose shot hit off the post and bounced away from the goal.  K.C. MacEachern tried to quickly spin and take the shot, but the attempt went wide of the net.  Emily Husted also had a rocket of a shot just outside the box, but Coca made the save.

Flagler's only offensive threat came real late in the contest.  Loren Cate received a ball and was able to split the defense setting up a 1v1 opportunity with CSU goalkeeper Willi Babillis.  Babillis came out off her line to cut the angle off and made a great diving save to keep the Lady Saints off the board.

Babillis upped her record to 8-0-1 on the year making the lone save in a crucial moment for the Lady Cougars.  It is also her fourth shutout of the year and lowers her goals against average to 0.42.  Coca made three saves on the afternoon, but drops to 4-10-2.  CSU outshot Flagler 15-5 and held a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks. 

Lowery continues to climb up the record books as her 16 goals on the year place her alone in third place on the single-season list and in a tie for third place in points in 36.  Jordan McKenzie picked up her sixth assist on the year, tying her with three other Lady Cougars (Parrish, Mathews, Kate Walton) for the team lead, which is the seventh best single-season total in CSU history.  As a team, this is their 13^th shutout of the year, three shy of tying the all-time mark set in 2007 and 2008.  The shutout total is also the top mark in the Peach Belt Conference and is a tie for the fourth most nationally.

Final pairings for the Peach Belt Conference Tournament are not set yet with CSU able to face three different teams.  The Lady Cougars will enter the tournament as the second seed with co-champion Armstrong Atlantic State serving as the top seed.  UNC Pembroke is the third seed as they defeated North Georgia earlier this afternoon 1-0 in double-overtime.  North Georgia will be the fourth seed facing off against fifth seed Georgia College.  Lander, Montevallo and Clayton State are all vying for the sixth, seventh and eighth positions in the tournament. 

Columbus State will return to the pitch on Tuesday, November 2 in the first round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.  An official announcement of parings will be released on www.csucougars.com when the all the games are final.