Statesboro, Ga. – In the final home game of the regular season, the Eagles blanked visiting Appalachian State 2-0 on senior day.  The Eagles move to 10-5-1 (5-3-1 SBC) while the Mountaineers drop to 8-10-0 (5-4-0 SBC).    

"I feel good about the performance and the result," said Head Coach Brian Dunleavy.  "I think we battled for 90 minutes and created a lot of opportunities by keeping the ball on the ground and keeping it moving.  App State made it difficult for us because they are athletic and wanted to play direct, so we had to sustain ourselves defensively.  We beat a good team today."

It did not take long for the Eagles to add a tally mark to the board, as Nora El-Shami scored on a penalty kick in the 2nd minute of the game.  The penalty kick was the result of a foul in the box on teammate Jennifer Wittick.  The goal, El-Shami's 6th of the year, also marks the earliest score for the Eagles in a match this season.

The second half opened with another El-Shami goal, her 7th of the year, unassisted in the 50th minute.  El-Shami split the defense and slotted a ball to the right side from 8 yards out.  With this goal, she becomes the team leader for goals on the season, surpassing Melinda Lukas.  

Over the final 25 minutes, the Mountaineers laid siege to the Eagles goal.  Switching formation to move 3 up top, App State was able to place 7 shots on goal in that span.  Katie Merson had a big day between the pipes for the Eagles as she made 8 total saves to collect her 6th shutout of the season. 

"We've been battling all season trying to get shutouts, and this was such a great way to end in our final home game," remarked Merson.  "Georgia Southern is my life.  You cannot get better than this school, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  This group of girls is amazing.  We've got girls graduating early and also girls like me who have been here half a decade.  Everybody collectively has come together and we are doing something really special."

The Eagles will be the 4th seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.  The Eagles will travel to Mobile, Alabama on November 5th and play 5th seed Appalachian State at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.      

"I couldn't be more proud of our seniors.  They showed why we are so proud of them for their contributions. I look forward to seeing how the tournament seeding shakes out," concluded Dunleavy. 

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