#17 Women’s Soccer rolls to 3-0 win over Flagler in NCAA Tourney opener

Columbus, Ga. —- The 17th-ranked and fourth-seed Catawba College women's soccer team rolled to a 3-0 win over fifth-seed Flagler in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, punching its ticket to the Round of 32 for the third straight season.

TEAM STATISTICS

- Catawba out-shot Flagler 14-11

- The Catawba Indians recorded seven shots on goal to the Saints' four

- Catawba took all 10 corner kicks in the match

- The Catawba Indians were called for 13 of 19 fouls on the afternoon

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Bree Ehmer headed home the game-winner off a corner kick

- Alexah Fite and Morgan Delair added scores for the Catawba Indians

- Lillie Rusher delivered the assist on Ehmer's game-winner

- Ashley Hughes recorded the clean sheet, making four saves

- Callie Hammond and Maria Rayburn both logged a shot on goal

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST HALF

- The first real threat came from Flagler's Andrea Fernandez in the 12th minute, but her chip sailed wide

- Later in the 18th minute, Fernandez's deflected shot was saved by Hughes

- Hammond responded with Catawba's best chance to that point in the 20th minute, but her shot was saved by the Flagler keeper

- Catawba's shot on a 28th-minute corner kick was saved, but directly led to another

- Ehmer headed home the ensuing Rusher corner for the game-winner

- The Catawba Indians started to take control of the game from there, as they took the next four shots

- Fite's left-footed strike from just inside the box beat the Flagler keeper's reach to double the Catawba lead less than five minutes before half

SECOND HALF

- Rusher's shot off a free kick hit the crossbar in the 48th minute

- A ball off a corner kick was booted around until Delair squeaked in the third score for the Catawba Indians in the 52nd minute

- Rayburn tried for goal in the 55th minute, but an outstanding effort from the Saints' keeper kept the difference at 3-0

- Fernandez's first shot on goal of the match came in the 60th minute, but Hughes made the stop

- Hughes stepped up for two more saves in the final three minutes to keep the clean sheet

GAME NOTES

- Catawba's reaches the round of 32 for the third consecutive year, the longest streak in program history

- Eighth NCAA Tournament win in program history; fourth NCAA win under Coach Brown, who becomes winningest coach in NCAA tournament in program history

- Ehmer's fourth career goal in the NCAA Tournament in four career games; second game-winner

- Catawba's first-ever win over Flagler in seven games

- Matchup featured only two teams in Southeast Region that have reached each of last six national tournaments

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UP NEXT

- Catawba faces the advancing team between Francis Marion and Columbus State in NCAA Tournament Second Round action on Sunday at 3 p.m.