Women's Soccer 11/4/2012 12:03:00 AM

HIGHLANDERS BATTLE EAGLES FOR BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP

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Radford looks for its second straight Big South Championship on Sunday when it battles fourth-seeded and tournament host Winthrop at 2:00 p.m. with the match being broadcast live on ESPN3.com from Eagle Field. The second-seeded Highlanders (13-2-4) are coming off a 2-0 victory over third-seeded Longwood, while the Eagles (12-6-2) defeated the league's regular season champions, High Point, 1-0 on Friday evening.

A LOOK AT RU: Sahar Aflaki and Stephanie Herb scored early second half goals as Radford upended Longwood, 2-0 in a Big South semifinal… RU's 16-match undefeated streak is tied with BYU for the fourth longest current streak in NCAA Division I this season (Navy– 20, Denver– 19, Baylor- 17)… It was Herb's first collegiate goal… With four saves, Che' Brown recorded her 12^th shutout, breaking Nyiesha Ford's mark of 11 posted in 1997… It was the 26^th career clean sheet, matching Hall of Famer Peggy Poore's (1982-85) mark that has held up for 27 years… The 13^th shutout also sets a new school record, breaking the 1997 and 2011 team marks of 12… RU recorded five straight shutouts and has allowed just one goal over the last nine matches… The Highlanders are riding a 522:45 shutout streak (5-plus matches)… The last team to score was this match's opponent Winthrop when Krystyna Freda scored in the 79^th minute… Entering the week, Brown ranked 15^th in save percentage (.871) and 19^th in GAA (0.62) in the NCAA… Rachel Conway, Julie Ruh'e and Kara Nay pace an offensive attack with six goals apiece as 14 different Highlanders have scored… Mary Wiley has tallied a team-best seven assists.

A LOOK AT WU: Following a 1-0 win over High Point, Winthrop is making its first championship match appearance in program history… Krystyna Freda, who scored the game-winner against the Panthers, leads the squad with 14 goals… Grace Radler has dished out a league-best 12 assists… Winthrop's offense is ranked 20^th in the nation with 2.32 goals per game… The Eagles are on a five-match winning streak in which they've only allowed one goal… In the net, Amelia Henderson has a goals against average of 1.26, while Sarah Schippers brings a 0.59 GAA into the contest.

THE SERIES: Radford holds a slight 5-4-1 mark, but are 2-3-1 in Rock Hill… This is the first meeting in the Big South Tournament.

REGULAR SEASON: The teams played to a 1-1 draw in Rock Hill, the first tie in the series' 10 matches… Tyler Drake's header on a corner kick in the 89^th minute salvaged tie… It was Drake's first collegiate goal.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The Highlanders make a second straight and fifth overall appearance in the Championship match… RU posted 1-0 and 2-0 victories over Campbell and Longwood, respectively… 4-0 in championship matches (1998, 2002, 2008, 2011)… Allowed one goal in four championship matches; outscoring opponents, 6-1… RU won last year's title with an identical 1-0 victory over the Camels… Also defeated UNC Asheville in penalty kicks and Liberty 4-1 on its way to the program's fourth conference title… 17-11-5 all-time and 16-9-4 under Ben Sohrabi… 8-1-1 as the No. 2 seed, winning the 2002 and the 2008 championships.

UP NEXT: The winner of this contest will earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

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