Petersen scores the game-winner as Gaughan has a career day

OXFORD, Ohio (September 9, 2011) – It does not matter how you start, but how you finish, and the ETSU women’s soccer team reminded everybody of that by defeating Wright State, 2-1, after overcoming a fourth minute goal on Friday at the Miami Soccer Field.

"This was a very good all-around performance in every area," said head coach Adam Sayers. "The way we played, responded after going a goal down and the way we adjusted to what [Wright State] was doing was great. I couldn’t be prouder of our team; every player today was absolutely brilliant."

Freshman Jenna Caudle (Middletown, Md.) scored the equalizing goal four minutes before the end of the first half, and Genna Petersen (Loveland, Ohio) came back to her home state and scored the game-winner in the 62nd minute to continue the Lady Bucs’ winning ways.

Senior goalkeeper Caitlin Gaughan (Indianapolis, Ind.) saw the Raiders’ first shot hit the right post and deflect in, but did not allow anything else to get past her, making a career-high nine saves off 21 shots faced. Gaughan, along with defenders Samantha Kron (Paradise Valley, Ariz) and Jessica Hiltenbrand (Bartlett, Tenn.) had a fantastic game, stopping the Raiders next 20 shots from reaching the back of the net.

"Caitlin Gaughan and the two center backs, Jessica Hiltenbrand and Samantha Kron, were absolutely dominating," commented Sayers. "It was just a fantastic performance from the two center backs and Jasmin Dutton (Kimmel Bay, North Wales) and Emilee Engelhaupt (Charlotte, N.C.) in the central midfield were brilliant as well."

The Raiders (3-3-1) got off to a quick start with a goal just four minutes in on their first shot of the match. Wright State’s Brittany Persaud sent a ball into the team’s leading goal scorer, Jen Agueci, who took a shot that bounced off the right post and redirected into the goal. The goal was Agueci’s third while the assist was Persaud’s third to give Wright State the early, 1-0, advantage.

The Lady Bucs (4-2-0) regrouped and put together some chances of their own. Freshmen and Kim Elmore (Salem, Va.) and Dutton assembled two shots halfway through the first period, with Elmore’s being saved, before Petersen headed a ball towards goal that Brooke McCurdy saved again.

With less than 10 minutes remaining in the opening half, Caudle took her first shot of the match that wound up in the hands of McCurdy. Her second shot would not.

Kron lined up for a corner with less than five minutes to play in the half and found the freshman sensation who connected for her fourth goal of the year. On Caudle's goal, Kron tallied her second assist of the year and ETSU brought the game to a, 1-1, tie.

Wright State and ETSU took the tie into the locker rooms, with the two teams combining for 21 first half shots and 10 saves.

After Wright State could not score off the first three shots of the second period, Petersen found the back of the net with the Lady Bucs’ first attempt of the half. This time Morgan Thomas (Maryville, Tenn.) was the catalyst as she sent in a ball from the left side that Petersen one-timed in the net and ETSU took the, 2-1, lead.

As the clock showed less than 10 minutes to play, Caudle nearly scored again. Following another Kron corner kick, Caudle collected the ball deep into Wright State territory and blasted a shot that McCurdy saved to keep Wright State in the game.

Gaughan faced eight second half shots, including a desperation attempt with 18 seconds to go, but allowed nothing except the goal back in the fourth minute to escape on her career day.

With the win, ETSU extended its winning streak to four games, its largest since beating USC Upstate back on Nov. 3, 2007.

In the tournament format, each game (no matter what the score is) ends in a penalty kick shootout for an added point in the tournament standings. With the win, ETSU received three points, but Wright St. won the shootout, 3-2, to receive one point.

The ETSU women’s soccer team will be looking for five in a row when they play the host of the RedHawk Shooout, Miami University, on Sunday at 3 p.m.

For more information on ETSU women’s soccer please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women’s soccer links. Fans can also follow the Lady Bucs on Facebook at ETSU Buccaneer Women’s Soccer.