Tusculum Tops Newberry In NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- Michelle Meade scored an early first-half goal and added an assist late in regulation to lead the Tusculum College women's soccer team to a 2-1 win over Newberry College in the first round of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament.

Tusculum (15-4-3) controlled the run of play for the much of the first half, outshooting the Scarlet and Gray 9-6 while Newberry (13-5-2) edged the Pioneers in shots by a 9-5 margin in the second half. Marjaana Kaaresvirta made nine saves to anchor the Pioneer defense while Newberry's Emily Rhoades stopped four attempts on goal in the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament match.

Tusculum's Meade found the back of the net for the fourth time this season midway through the first half, and added her 10th assist of the campaign on Courtney Turner's second half match-winn! ! er to pace the Pioneer attack. Newberry's Amberly Fowler scored her fifth goal of the season to provide the scoring for the Scarlet and Gray.

The Pioneers opened the scoring midway through the 30th minute, when Meade sent a high curling strike into the top left corner of the goal from 35 yards out to send Tusculum into the interval with a 1-0 advantage.

Tusculum extended the margin to 2-0 late in the 70th minute when Meade threaded a free kick into the area, leaving Turner in perfect position to send a well-placed strike into the bottom corner of the net for her fourth goal of the season. Newberry cut the margin back to one on Fowler's fifth goal of the campaign in the 71st minute, as the junior lobbed a perfect strike over the keeper's head from 30 yards distance to trim the Pioneer lead to 2-1.

The Pioneers now advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and will take on seventh-ranked Carson-Newman College on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Jefferson City.