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COLUMBUS – The top-seeded and third-ranked Columbus State University women's soccer team is looking for its eighth Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship, as the Lady Cougars will take on seventh-seeded Georgia College on Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Ga.
Columbus State (16-0-1) advanced to Sunday's final with a 2-0 victory over fourth-seeded UNC Pembroke on Friday evening.
Riley Clark scored in the 16
th and 74
th minutes to lead the way for the Lady Cougars.
Sunday will be the fifth consecutive conference championship match for the Lady Cougars, who will be playing in their PBC 12
th in the last 14 years. CSU owns a record seven tournament titles and is 6-4-1 in championship contests.
Columbus State and Georgia College have met five previous times in the conference tournament, however none of the meetings were in the final. CSU is 4-1-0 in those five postseason meetings. Overall, the Lady Cougars are 14-2-4 against the Bobcats.
CSU and GC met less than one month ago, with the Lady Cougars turning in a 4-0 victory Oct. 15 in Columbus.
Olivia Jarrell gave Columbus State a 1-0 lead at the half before doubling the lead early in the second with her second of the day.
Brooke Nail and Clark also scored in the win.
The two goals by Clark on Friday continued a dominant run from the junior that gives her six goals in the last three matches and 10 in the last seven. Clark is now just one goal shy of tying her career-best mark of 16 set last season.
Bria Riancho recorded seven saves in Friday night's win to pick up her seventh shutout of the season. The sophomore has not allowed a goal in seven of the last eight matches, giving up just one tally in the last 747 minutes.
Georgia College (11-5-4) will go for its first conference championship on Sunday. The Bobcats have been in the championship match just once, falling in penalty kicks to Clayton State in 2013.
GC used penalty kicks to upset second-seeded Lander in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, before a strike in the final minute of the first overtime lifted the Bobcats past sixth-seeded Young Harris Friday.
Sunday's match will be streamed live online, with links available at CSUCougars.com.
