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Evans - Ashley Miller scored a pair of goals and No. 20 Columbus State registered its fourth straight shutout as they defeated UNC Pembroke 3-0 Friday evening in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinals at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, GA.
With the win, CSU advances to their seventh PBC Championship match in the past eight years. They are 3-2-1 in the title game including winning the 2006 championship in a penalty kick shootout over Armstrong.
The Lady Cougars will take on top seed and No. 1 ranked Armstrong who rallied late in the second have to pull off a 2-1 victory over fourth seeded North Georgia in the other semifinal match. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon. This will be the first time in school history that CSU has faced off against a No. 1 ranked team.
As was the case last weekend when these two sides met, Columbus State raced out to an early lead in the contest, this time scoring just two and a half minutes into the contest. Stephanie Lowery took a free kick from 20 yards out which was initially saved by UNCP goalkeeper Britney Bennett but the rebound was knocked in by Miller for the first of her two goals in the match.
In the regular season finale, Jaci Carithers scored the lone goal of the match for CSU in the 7th minute of action, also off a Lowery assist.
Both goalkeepers did their best to keep their teams in the contest as both Mary Mancin and Bennett picked up five saves apiece until Shea Wilby added some breathing room for Columbus State. The play started with Kayla Brown attacking up the left side crossing a ball to Shea Wilby inside the box who put away her third goal of the season and make the score 2-0 in the 76th minute of action.
Miller capped off the night with her fourth goal of the year in the 88th minute when she received a ball from Tori Hood and put in the left corner of the net.
Columbus State outshot the Braves 21-13 in the match and held a decisive advantage in corner kicks, 7-0. Mancin picked up the win as she made six saves in helping the Lady Cougars post their 12th shutout of the season. Bennett did all she could for UNCP recording eight saves on the match.
CSU improves their PBC Tournament record to 17-3-1 including a perfect 7-0 mark in the semifinals. They are also 6-1 all-time at Blanchard Woods Park with their lone loss coming in the championship game a season ago when Armstrong scored with 10 seconds remaining to win 1-0. The two sides are 1-1-1 versus each other in the PBC Tournament championship game as the Lady Cougars won in 2007 in overtime and in 2006 on in a PK shootout.
