STATESBORO, Ga. ? The Georgia Southern women’s soccer team lost its final regular season match 2-1 in overtime to Davidson Thursday afternoon at Eagle Field.
The Lady Eagles complete their season with a 4-11-3 (2-8-1) record. The Wildcats improved to 10-5-3 (8-3-0) on the season.
“I think our team played really well today,” said head coach Ashley Hart. “We struggled the last couple of weeks with being consistent. Davidson is a good team. Our team came out and played well defensively. We allowed them some opportunities, and Davidson capitalized on the one at the end.”
The match looked like it would be a high scoring affair early on as both teams scored in the first 10 minutes.
Davidson scored first in the fourth minute of play. Katharine Laco scored off of a long cross from Callan Elswick. Elswick passed the ball from the far right side of the field, and Laco headed it into the net.
Ashley Toussaint (Warner Robins, Ga.) responded with her 13th goal of the season in the 9th minute. Holli Finneren (Lake Orion, Mich.) passed the ball to Toussaint, who lobbed it over the goalie's head for the goal.
“Ashley has been a tremendous player for us,” stated Hart. “She is really dangerous for us. If you give her any kind of chance, she is going to put away a goal.”
Toussaint’s goal, however, was the last one of regulation for either team thanks in part to Lauren Santos (Berwyn, Ill.) who made seven saves in regulation. The match headed to overtime with the score 1-1.
The match seemed to be headed to a second overtime, but Suzanne Sittko had other plans. She knocked a shot into the right side of the net for the game-winning goal in the 97 minute of play.
The Lady Eagles completed the 2008 season with the Davidson match.
“I want to thank all our seniors, Audrey, Ashley, Abby and Holli,” said Hart. “They have been very important in our growth as a team. We are going to miss them greatly next year, but I know all of them are going to go on to do great things. I can't thank them enough for all their hard work that they have put in!”