RADFORD - When senior Justine Dugger (Purcellville, Va./Notre Dame Academy) lined up in the 86th minute to take a penalty kick for Radford on Sunday afternoon, she had to think twice about her shot, which is something totally out of the ordinary for her. 

Reason being, just days before in practice, she missed a penalty kick for the first time.

"I've never missed and I thought about that when I stepped up," Dugger said.  "I always go across the goal, but since I missed in practice I had to go to the other side."

Going the other way?  Not a problem.

Dugger knocked in her penalty kick try, lifting Radford to a 1-0 win over Presbyterian in Big South women's soccer action at Cupp Stadium.

"I never want to have to do that again," she said, even after her make led the Highlanders (5-6-0, 2-0-0 Big South) to their second straight win, as they continued a strong Big South opening-weekend showing.  Radford  was awarded the chance when freshman Mary Wiley (Radford, Va./Radford) was brought down on the far side of the penalty box with time winding down in regulation.

Dugger buried the penalty kick chance for her third goal of the season.

"It's been tough for us recently," Dugger said.  "With a lot of us hurt, I'm glad I could step up and help us get a win."

"Justine was cool and calm, and buried it," head coach Ben Sohrabi said.  "Those are nervous moments, and that was huge."

Dugger's game-winner headlined a victory that concluded a trying weekend for Radford.  Despite a 10-day layoff, the Highlanders suffered several injuries over the weekend, and nagging pains continue to plague Radford.

"As banged up as we are, we're going to have to rely on a lot of people to step up and play out of position and out of their comfort zone," Sohrabi said.

"But I'm proud of us for playing tough, and especially playing tough defensively."

That effort yielded just three shots from Presbyterian (3-7-0, 0-2-0).  Sophomore Lisa Lubke (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales) needed to make just one stop to earn the shutout for Radford, when she knocked down Kate Baker's near side shot from 12 yards out in the 56th minute on a thru ball from Tricia Bryan.

Radford plays its next two matches away from home, beginning next Saturday (Oct. 10) at Charleston Southern.