UCF Defeats Jacksonville 3-2 to Win Atlantic Sun Women's Soccer Championship
UCF Press Release
November 10, 2002
BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Freshman Courtney Baines
scored her first goal of the year in the 79th minute to lift UCF to a 3-2
victory over Jacksonville in the final of the Atlantic Sun Conference Women's
Soccer Championship on Saturday night at the Eakes Athletic Complex.
Top-seeded UCF (18-4) rebounded from a 2-1 half-time deficit to win
its second-straight A-Sun crown and eighth overall in the last 10 years. The
Golden Knights avenged a 3-2 loss to third-seeded Jacksonville last month.
UCF extended its win streak to seven games and heads into the NCAA Tournament
with wins in 10 of its last 11 outings.
Baines, a native of Indialantic, Fla., and member of the A-Sun
All-Freshman Team, assisted on the game-winning goal in UCF's 3-0 victory over
Jacksonville State in Friday's semifinal. On Saturday, she controlled a serve
from Nicole Cieslak in the box and beat JU keeper Stephanie Fowler with a low
shot inside the right post for the winner.
UCF, which gained the A-Sun's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament,
jumped in front in the eighth minute of play. A Jacksonville clearance was
met by tournament MVP Allison Blagriff who notched her second goal of the
tourney with a first-touch shot from 15 yards.
Jacksonville (15-4-2), which was making its fourth A-Sun final
appearance in the last five years, equalized just 1:50 later when Inge
Heiremans controlled a UCF clearance at the top of the box and her
right-footed shot caromed off the left post and into the goal.
Vanessa Illanes, who was named A-Sun Player of the Year on Tuesday,
put the Dolphins in front in the 39th minute on a touch-and-shoot re-start
from 20 yards.
Just over five minutes into the second half, Baines sent a high corner
kick into the area that Fowler dropped, then was accidentally knocked into the
net by the JU defense for an own goal. UCF also scored an own goal off a
corner kick in Friday's semifinal.
Each team attempted 14 shots on the night. Jessica Kuhlman had three
saves in the UCF nets, while Fowler finished with five stops for JU.
UCF will find out where it will begin NCAA play next weekend Monday when
the NCAA Selection Show is aired live on ESPN News at 4:30 p.m.