HIGHLANDERS TOP BUCCANEERS, 2-0 IN BIG SOUTH QUARTERFINALS

RU finishes 9-0-0 at home and 17-0-2 the last two seasons at Cupp

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RADFORD, Va. – Senior Sydney Golden and freshman Melanie Priestley each scored a goal and senior Che' Brown made a crucial second-half save as No. 1 Radford knocked off No. 8 Charleston Southern, 2-0, in the quarterfinals of the Big South Women's Soccer Tournament presented by Musco Lighting on a chilly Friday evening at Cupp Stadium.

The Highlanders' (15-2-1) victory over the Buccaneers (7-12-1) advances them to the semifinals of the tournament being held at Coastal Carolina. They will play the winner of tomorrow's contest between No. 4 Winthrop and No. 5 Coastal Carolina on Friday, Nov. 8. Kickoff from Conway, S.C. is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

"It took two good goals to beat a very good team tonight," said head coach Ben Sohrabi. "I think we played well in a facets of the game and look forward to our next challenge in the semifinals."

Golden rocketed a shot from 25 yards that broke the ice in a scoreless first half and gave Radford a 1-0 lead going into halftime. It was a half that saw the Highlanders hit the underside of the crossbar and get denied on several point blank opportunities. RU would outshoot CSU, 14-3 and hold a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks.

The Highlanders dominated possession and the run of play but could not find the back of the net until Golden's strike in the 40^th minute. Freshman Miranda Carlson gathered a loose ball following a corner kick and slipped it back to Golden, whose low laser found the side netting for her sixth goal and fourth game-winner of the season. Carlson set up her backline partner to earn her first collegiate assist.

Following several more scoring threats by the Highlanders, the Buccaneers had their best chance of the night to even the score in the 73rd minute. However, as she's done for four years, Brown made a spectacular save on a high blast by Allison Lewis, tipping her shot over the crossbar and preserving the 1-0 lead. She finished with three saves to earn her sixth shutout of the season and 33^rd of her career. The Highlanders moved their clean sheet total to 10.

The offensive pressure finally paid off late in the contest as Priestley put the icing on the cake with 1:05 left in the match. Senior Rachel Conway headed a CSU clearance into the box, finding senior Sahar Aflaki. A wide-open Aflaki unselfishly slipped the ball to Priestley, who buried it far post for her team-leading seventh goal.

CSU's Caitlin Cody finished with 10 saves and Lewis paced the offense with three shots. Conway charted a game-best five shots as the Highlanders held a 28-7 advantage in that department.

Radford ended its season a perfect 9-0-0 at Cupp Stadium and extended its home winning streak to 11 games, both new program benchmarks. The Highlanders finished unbeaten at home for the second straight season (17-0-2) and earned their first unblemished home season since an 8-0-0 mark in 1997.

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