University of North Florida
Lander
2nd Half Flurry Sends UNF into PBC Semifinals
2/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 3, 2004
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Nov. 3, 2004) - The University of North Florida women's soccer team used a flurry of three goals within the first 30 minutes of the second half at the UNF Soccer Field Wednesday night to defeat Lander 3-0 and move onto the semifinals of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. The Lady Ospreys (12-4-2) had several scoring opportunities early, but couldn't cash in against Lander (6-7-4) goalie Katherine Duncan. Courtney Forson finally opened the floodgates in the second half with a pair of goals, followed by a Diana Hemke tally that sealed the victory.
"We didn't finish the opportunities we had [in the first half]," UNF head coach Mike Munch said. "We were doing what we needed to do. It was a matter of being patient. In a game like this, the first one is the pressure breaker. We played more free and easy after that [first goal]."
Forson put the Lady Ospreys up in the 47th minute of play, lifting a ball over the head of Duncan from the top of the goal box. She later made it 2-0 on a ball that Maegan Pearce fed through the middle of the defense from midfield. Forson took the ball from there, splitting two defenders for her eighth goal of the season.
Forson was tied for the team lead in goals with Diana Hemke for roughly 13 minutes before Hemke gave the Lady Ospreys a 3-0 lead. Her ninth goal of the season came after some fancy footwork allowed her to beat two defenders before blasting the ball by Duncan.
UNF outshot the Lady Bearcats 13-1 on the night. Lander's only shot came from well beyond the goal box, as UNF keeper Heather Gosselin went untested most of the match.
Hemke and Ali Blochl had a chance to put UNF on the board early, but neither player could convert on a breakaway opportunity in the first 10 minutes of play. The Lady Ospreys also missed another scoring opportunity in the first half on a cross that just missed finding the foot of an offensive player.
UNF now moves on to face USC Upstate in the semifinals of the PBC tournament. Upstate was one of only two teams to defeat UNF in conference play this season, with Lander scoring the other victory.
The PBC semifinals and finals will take place in Florence, S.C., with top-seed Francis Marion serving as the tournament host.
"We've played on that field three times this year and have come away with two wins and a tie," Munch said. "So, it's not like we haven't had success up there."
