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Women's Soccer

RADFORD CLINCHES REGULAR SEASON TITLE AND TOP SEED ON SENIOR DAY

BOX SCORE |

RADFORD, Va. – Radford women's soccer and its senior class clinched at least a share of the Big South regular season title and the overall top seed for the league tournament with a 2-1 win over second-place Winthrop on Saturday afternoon at Cupp Stadium. Freshman Melanie Priestley struck for the game-winner in the 64th minute and senior Che' Brown made a big save late fending off a furious rally by the visitors and holding on for the victory.
 
It is the third regular season title in four years for the Highlanders (13-2-1, 9-1-0 Big South). They also tied a school record with their 10th straight home win and also set a new standard for Big South victories. With the win, this senior class has won 53 contests and posted a .724 winning percentage, all program bests. Not to mention, the wins and winning percentage entered the week as the 27th and 18th best among all 327 NCAA Division I senior classes.

"Today was a great team win," said head coach Ben Sohrabi. "I'm very pround of our seniors in the way they played this afternoon and all four years of their careers."

Should Longwood lose or tie tonight at UNC Asheville, Radford will claim the regular season outright. If the Lancers prevail, the Highlanders will have to earn at least a tie at VMI on Tuesday for the outright title.

"We are very happy to have the No. 1 seed in the tournament and look forward to concluding the regular season at VMI and starting the conference tournament," commented Sohrabi.
 
With the score deadlocked at 1-1 and both teams pressing for the winning goal, senior Julie Ruh'e made and nice individual effort and created her own shot from just inside the 18. It was blocked, but the ball bounced directly to Priestley. She calmly curled a 20 yard left-footed shot into the far posts side netting for the game-winner and her fifth goal of the season.
 
Radford had to hang on as Winthrop (11-4-1, 7-3-0) pressed in the final 25 minutes, coming very close on several occasions of getting the equalizer. The closes was an accurate long range shot by Ashley Herndon, but Brown was up to the task, parrying the ball up and over the crossbar in the 83rd minute for her only save of the half. She finished with four.
 
Senior Rachel Conway converted a penalty kick in the 41st minute to give Radford a 1-0 advantage going into halftime. It was a tightly contested 45 minutes as the Highlanders held a slight advantage in shots, 7-5, with Brown making three saves. Winthrop's Amelia Henderson stopped two shots and finished with three saves.
 
It didn't take long for the Eagles to get the equalizer. Grace Radler's header off a low bending far post service from Taylor Coleman evened the contest just 41 seconds after intermission.
 
Prior to the contest Radford recognized its nine young ladies in a special ceremony with Sohrabi, assistants Chris Barrett and Jon Freeman, and the family members. The nine, who all started, were Sahar Aflaki, Brown, Conway, Tyler Drake, Sydney Golden, Lauren Hicks, Torrie Jackson, Lauren Markey and Ruh'e.
 
Radford closes out the regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 29 traveling VMI for a 3:00 p.m. tilt with the Keydets. The Highlanders will host a first round game next weekend. Please check back to the website for further details.
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