East Carolina University
UCF
Pirates Fall To UCF In C-USA Tourney Opener
November 07, 2007 | Soccer
Nov. 7, 2007
No. 1 UCF 2, No. 8 East Carolina 0 (PDF) 
EL PASO, Texas - In game one of the 2007 Conference USA Women's Soccer Championship at University Field on the campus of UTEP Wednesday afternoon, No. 1 UCF downed No. 8 East Carolina, 2-0. Courtney Whidden notched both UCF goals to help the Knights advance to Friday's quarterfinal round.
The Knights opened scoring in the ninth minute when Whidden notched her 12th goal of the season as she took a ball from Arielle Orr and sent it past the keeper for the early lead. UCF increased its lead to 2-0 in the 17th minute when Nikki Moore lobbed a pass into the box and Whidden headed it off the post and into the net.
The Pirates had two early chances midway through the second half to cut into the lead. Bailey Wilcox had a shot go off the crossbar in the 57th minute and later in the 66th minute Alexis Foltz took a shot that got past UCF goalkeeper Jennifer Manis, but hit the far right post and trickled in front of the goal before being cleared out.
ECU out-shot UCF 14 to 7 for the game, including 12-3 in the second stanza, but was unable to get any points on the board.
"I thought that in the first half UCF played better," head coach Rob Donnenwirth said. "We only gave up four shots, unfortunately two of them were goals. I thought that in the second half we came out hard. We out shot them and we hit the post three times.
"We had our opportunities to score, unfortunately we didn't have chance to put one in the back of the net. I thought the girls played hard and the seniors gave it everything they had."
Hanna Wilde registered two shots and one on-goal for the Knights, while Sara De Leon also was credited with a shot on goal. Manis went all 90 minutes in goal for the Knights and tallied six saves.
Kat Norris led the Pirates with two shots on goal and four other Pirates were credited with shots on goal. Pirate keeper Amber Campbell picked up two saves in the loss.
UCF improves to 13-3-3 with the win, while East Carolina falls to 9-5-5. The Knights next face the winner of Wednesday's game No. 2 between No. 4 UAB and No. 5 Rice.
