COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University women's soccer team will turn its attention back to Peach Belt Conference play traveling to take on UNC Pembroke on Saturday. The match is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Lumbee River EMC Stadium in Pembroke, N.C. with real-time statistics and live video available on CSUCougars.com.
About the Columbus State University Lady Cougars
Columbus State will look to grab its first Peach Belt Conference victory of the season on Saturday. CSU fell 1-0 to No. 25 North Georgia in their conference opener on Sept. 18.
CSU got back in the win column on Wednesday by blanking Catawba 3-0 at the Walden Soccer Complex.
The Lady Cougars are a perfect 2-0 this season while playing away from Columbus.
About the UNC Pembroke Braves
UNC Pembroke will bring a 4-1 record into Saturday's contest. UNCP's lone loss came to No. 16 Lenoir-Rhyne on the road back on Sept. 14. Saturaday's match will be the Braves' first in PBC play.
The Braves will be well rested for the match. UNC Pembroke's last action came on Sept. 18 when it defeated Chowan 2-1.
Six different players have recorded a goal this season for UNCP. Goalkeeper Gina Ryan has a 0.58 goals-against average and is the PBC all-time career leader in shutouts with 29.
Series History
Columbus State and UNC Pembroke will be meeting for the 25th time on Saturday. The Lady Cougars own a 19-4-1 all-time record over the Braves, including a 5-2 mark in Pembroke. The 25 meetings are the most against any opponent in CSU history.
Team Notes
• Columbus State broke a long scoreless drought on Wednesday versus Catawba. With the first goal in the 17th minute, CSU snapped a span of 316 scoreless minutes.
• Four Lady Cougar freshmen have now recorded a point this season. Brenna Harrison leads the way with two goals while Carley Canzoneri, Bre Harvey, and Ireland Bryant all have one assist.
• Junior goalkeeper Bria Riancho recorded her first shutout of 2019 against Catawba. She now has 15 in her career which is one shy of tying Mary Mancin (2009-12) for third all-time in CSU history.
• Columbus State will be looking to avoid back-to-back PBC losses for the first time since 2013.
• The Lady Cougars have won five straight road PBC matches.
• CSU earned a season-high 12 corner kicks on Wednesday against Catawba. The Lady Cougars leads the PBC with 52 on the year.
Peach Belt Conference Dominance
Columbus State has been the class of the Peach Belt Conference since the 2005 season. CSU has won 12 PBC regular season championships and eight PBC Tournament titles in that stretch. No other PBC program has won more than three regular season titles in conference history. The Lady Cougars have an all-time record of 122-17-9, a .855 winning percentage, in PBC matches.
Spreading the Wealth
Columbus State continues to have a very balanced scoring attack. Against Catawba, three different players scored goals with Amanda Murphy becoming the eighth different Lady Cougar to find the back of the net this season. With Ireland Bryant and Bre Harvey adding assists in the match, 12 players have recorded a point through seven matches.
Offensive Powerhouse
Columbus State leads the Peach Belt Conference in scoring with 18 total goals. The 18 goals are also the 16th most at the NCAA Division II level.
Junior Kimmy May leads the way with four while Riley Clark (three), Maddy Peterson (three), Kimmy Edgeworth (two), and Brenna Harrison (two) all have scored multiple goals so far this season.
Entlich Among the Nation's Best
Since starting the program in 2004, Jay Entlich has established CSU women's soccer into a national powerhouse. With an overall record of 263-59-24 at CSU, he is the winningest coach in PBC history. His overall coaching record of 285-75-24 puts him eighth all-time at the NCAA Division II level.
He has coached four PBC Player of the Year award winners and has been named the conference's Coach of the Year in every season since 2014.
