Kerns scores fourth goal, Lady Bucs tie best start in program history

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Aug. 26, 2012) – Junior Ramey Kerns (Kings Mountain, N.C.) scored her fourth goal of the season in the 27th minute on Sunday afternoon against Radford, which proved to be enough as the ETSU women’s soccer team shutout Radford, 1-0, at Summers-Taylor Stadium.

After Radford (1-2-0) had taken nine of the game’s first 10 shots, ETSU (4-0-0) freshman Sarah Zadrazil (St. Gilgen, Austria) stole a pass in the penalty area and found Kerns with a cross to her left. The Lady Bucs’ leading goal scorer took a step and fired a shot across the body of Highlander goalkeeper Che’ Brown into the left side of goal. Kerns and Zadrazil lead ETSU in goals and assists, respectively, currently sitting at four apiece.

“I saw Sarah [Zadrazil] get the ball and dribble it down the corner,” said Kerns, who has scored three of ETSU’s last four goals. “She was able to get a cross off and lay it back to me. I took a controlling touch and slotted it into the left corner.”

With the win, ETSU tied the program record for most consecutive wins to start a season. The Lady Bucs’ other 4-0-0 start came in 2003, when it once again took down Radford, 1-0, on Sept. 12 in Johnson City. That year’s ETSU squad fell in the next game, 2-1, to UNC Asheville.

“I could not be prouder of the team’s performance today,” ETSU head coach Adam Sayers said. “It was an excellent performance from start to finish.

“We expected Radford to play at a high tempo. They certainly had more possession in the first 20-25 minutes, and created more chances. From our standpoint, we were very organized and disciplined defensively. We restricted them to efforts from outside of the box, and as the half wore on we managed to get into the game a bit more and score the goal.”

Freshman Sierra Campbell (Thompson’s Station, Tenn.) faced 18 Radford shots in total, but only had to make two saves in earning the second shutout of her season and collegiate career. ETSU took 11 shots in all, but was able to drive one past Brown and hold off the defending Big South Conference champions for the win.

Radford began its attack just over six minutes in, when Rachel Conway took a shot that sailed high. From there, the Highlanders reeled off five more shots and a corner, but took most from distance as the ETSU back line held its ground.

Sophomore Emilee Engelhaupt (Charlotte, N.C.) got ETSU’s attack going, taking the Lady Bucs’ first shot of the game 17 minutes in. Ten minutes and three Highlander shots later, Kerns stuck off Zadrazil’s cross for what proved to be the lone goal of the game.

At the half, Radford had taken nine shots to ETSU’s five, but did not manage a single attempt in the remainder of the period after Kerns’ goal.

In the second half, Kerns nearly pulled off what would have been her second two-goal game of the weekend. The junior forward beat Brown with a shot from short range following free kick off a Highlander foul, but an RU defender was there on the back line to make what was the Highlanders’ only save of the game.

Radford managed four shots and a corner through the final 15 minutes, but did not break through as ETSU improved to 4-0.

“Towards the end of the game, [Radford] threw everything they had at us to try and get an equalizer,” Sayers added. “We held firm, disciplined, organized and committed. It was a real team performance today, and I’m very proud of the team.”

ETSU gets a week off from the playing field before heading to Murfreesboro, Tenn. next Sunday, Sept. 2, to take on MTSU.

For more information on ETSU women’s soccer please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women’s soccer links.