ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Radford picked up a key Big South road win with a 3-2 triumph at UNC Asheville on Saturday afternoon in the conference finale for both schools. Freshman
Ashley Johnson (Springfield, Va.) netted two goals, including the game-winner at the 68 minute mark to vault the Highlanders into second place in the Big South, one point ahead of Charleston Southern. The Lady Bucs play their final conference match at Presbyterian tonight at 7 p.m.
After UNC Asheville's Robyn Busha scored two second half goals in a 3:49 span to tie the match, Johnson delivered the game-winning goal in the 68th. It was the first multi-goal game of her career and she now has a team-leading 10 markers, ranking her second in the Big South.
The Highlanders (10-1-6, 4-1-4 Big South) finished undefeated in Big South road games (3-0-2) for the first time since 2004 and the third time in eight seasons. It also marked the first time in the last 13 matches (Sept. 7 at Marshall) and just the third time this season that Radford has given up two goals in a contest.
Johnson opened the scoring at the 17-second mark. Sophomore
Latrice Lee (Woodbridge, Va.) hit a shot that UNCA goalkeeper Veronica Lazar stopped; however, the rebound went right to Johnson who tapped the ball into the goal for a 1-0 RU lead.
The teams played even for the rest of the half as the Highlanders settled for a 1-0 lead at intermission.
Lee gave the Highlanders a 2-0 lead at 57:36 when she took a pass from junior
Jackie Cozza (Woodbridge, Va.) and scored from five yards out.
The Bulldogs (5-12-0, 3-6-0 BSC) began to rally when Radford was called for a foul in the box in the 57th minute. Asheville was awarded a penalty kick that Busha took, scoring her sixth goal of the year to cut the lead to 2-1.
At the 61:25 mark, the Bulldogs tied the match. McKenna Stockhausen took a shot that was stopped by freshman goalkeeper
Lisa Lubke (Columbus, Ohio). The ball went straight to Busha who got her second goal of the game to tie the match at 2-2.
Johnson would strike again in the 68th minute. She scored off an assist from junior
Jill Boyer (Severn, Md.) to give Radford the lead for good at 3-2.
Radford will look for its first undefeated road regular season in program history, traveling to USC Upstate, tomorrow, Nov. 2. Match time is set for 2 p.m.