#11 Women’s Soccer downs #17 Columbus State in Friday night firework show

Salisbury, N.C. —- The 11th-ranked Catawba College women's soccer team took down reigning national semifinalist and 17th-ranked Columbus State in a wild 6-5 shootout at Frock Field on Friday night in a matchup of the top two scoring offenses in the country from a season ago.

TEAM STATS

- Catawba out-shot Columbus State 18-15

- The Catawba Indians held the slight edge in shots on goal 10-9

- Catawba had six corner kicks to CSU's two

- The Cougars received the lone yellow card on the night

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Helen Summerell scored two goals, including the game-winner, while adding an assist

- Sydney Jimmo added a pair of goals

- Bree Ehmer netted a goal and dished out an assist

- Morgan Delair was the fourth Catawba player to score on the night

- Hannah Dunn and Alexah Fite had assists for Catawba

- Gabby Cossette earned her first Catawba win in goal, making four saves

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST HALF

- Jimmo's shot on goal was saved in the fifth minute, but she cashed in on a cross from Fite in the seventh minute to give Catawba the early lead

- Summerell scored off a rebound to double the lead exactly two minutes later

- CSU's Emma Beddow capitalized on a penalty kick to get the Cougars on the board in the 11th minute

- Ehmer scored off a dish from Dunn to add to the lead in the 36th minute

- Delair scored on a strike at the top of the box on an assist from Ehmer just three minutes later to take a commanding 4-1 lead into the halftime break

SECOND HALF

- Catawba got a penalty kick opportunity of their own less than 90 seconds into the second half, as Jimmo converted to give Catawba a 5-1 lead

- CSU's Lauren Barnes answered in the 49th minute with a goal to cut the lead down to three

- Sumerrell recorded her second goal of the night in the 53rd in what would eventually be the game-winner

- The Cougars' Sarah Hungerford scored just two minutes later to stay within striking distance

- CSU's Faith Knoedler and Brooke Yount scored in the 78th and 83rd minute, respectively, to cut their deficit down to a single goal

- Despite offensive pressure from Columbus State, Catawba held on for its fourth consecutive victory to start the season

GAME NOTES

- First win over the Cougars since 2006, when they defeated #10 Columbus State 1-0

- First ranked win over a team other than Lenoir-Rhyne since that victory

- Most goals scored in a ranked win in program history

- Third ranked win under Nick Brown; all three have come at Frock Field

- Jimmo has recorded six goals in her first four games of the season

- Dunn, Jimmo and Summerell rank fifth, seventh and eighth, respectively, in Catawba program history for goals scored

- Columbus State reached the national semifinal a year ago; was ranked third in the preseason national poll

- Columbus State was the only team in the country to score more goals per game than Catawba in 2022

HEAR FROM COACH BROWN

"That was a wild one!!! I don't think I've ever been a part of a game like that. But I'm really proud of our players and how they played tonight against one of the premier programs in the country. 

Columbus State is a great team and is well-coached and I think we showed that when we're clicking, we can play with the best teams in the country. 

I couldn't be more proud of this group and what they've done so far and tonight they were unreal. The players on the field and off the field did what was asked of them and it was a great team effort! 

We'll enjoy this one for a day or two and then get ready for the next one."

UP NEXT

- Catawba opens up South Atlantic Conference play back at Frock Field on Wednesday, facing Newberry for a 7 p.m. start.