Lincoln Memorial Wins Food Lion SAC Women’s Soccer Tournament

ROCK HILL, SC -- The top-seeded Lincoln Memorial University Lady Railsplitters won the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer Tournament Championship following a 4-3 victory in a penalty kick shootout over Catawba College Sunday afternoon at the Manchester Meadows Soccer Complex. The game ended in a 0-0 draw after double overtime.

The Lady Railsplitters improve to 14-4-1, while the Catawba Indians fall to 14-4-3.

LMU's Patty Spielman was named the Tournament MVP for her performance.

Lincoln Memorial's Patty Spielman was named MVP of the 2007 Food Lion SAC Women's Soccer Tournament.

The Lady Railsplitters outshot Catawba, 29-7, but Kathleen Blake made 12 saves over the course of the match to keep the Catawba Indians' hopes alive.

Karina Campos scored the fourth and final penalty shot to give Lincoln Memorial its first league title in its first year of eligibility. The Lady Indians also lost in penalty kicks in last season's tournament final. Catawba is 0-3 in matches decided in penalty kicks.

The Lady Railsplitters held a whopping 29-7 edge in shots, including an 11-0 advantage in overtime, but Catawba keeper Kathleen Blake (Greensboro, NC/NW Guilford HS) turned back all 12 on goal to give the Lady Indians a chance.

Catawba went first in penalties. Both teams made their first attempt, but LMU keeper Denise de Resende saved the attempt by Alyssa Schoenberg (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury, HS). The Lady Railsplitters led 3-2, but Blake kept Catawba alive with a save off the shot of Hanna-Mari Toivonen. Carrie Wollaston (Landenberg, PA/Ursuline Academy) made her attempt to force a final kick, which Campos converted for the title.

Campos' shot went left while Blake went right, giving the Lady Railsplitters the tournament championship.

The best chance to win the match before the shootout came in the 95th minute, but the shot by SAC Player of the Year Heloisa de Oliveira crashed off the crossbar.

Lincoln Memorial receives the South Atlantic Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship Tournament. The tournament field will be announced on Monday.

Catawba vs Lincoln Memorial (Nov 04, 2007 at Rock Hill, SC)

Catawba (14-5-2) vs. Lincoln Memorial (15-4)
Date: Nov 04, 2007 Attendance: 150
Weather: Clear, Light breeze, Upper 60s.

Goals by period 1 2 OT O2 Tot
-------------------------------------
Catawba............. 0 0 0 0 - 0
Lincoln Memorial.... 0 0 0 0 - 0

SCORING SUMMARY:

PENALTY KICK RESULTS
LMU 4, CAT 3
CAT - Nikki Blackwelder, good
LMU - Heloisa de Oliveira, good
CAT - Alyssa Schoenberg, saved
LMU - Patty Spielman, good
CAT - Lauren Whiteley, good
LMU - Camilla Verissimo, good
CAT - Lainey Nichols, missed
LMU - Hanna-Mari Toivonen, saved
CAT - Carrie Wollaston, good
LMU - Karina Campos, good
Lincoln Memorial wins shootout 4-3

Shots: Catawba 7, Lincoln Memorial 29
Saves: Catawba 12 (Kathleen Blake 12), Lincoln Memorial 2 (Denise de
Redende 2)
2007 Food Lion SAC Championship Game
LMU advances 4-3 on penalty kicks.