Frostburg, MD – The University of Charleston women's soccer team traveled to Frostburg for a tough Mountain East Conference Quarterfinal matchup against the No. 2 seed in the North Division. UC, the No. 3 seed in the South, battled through a back-and-forth contest to claim a 2-1 victory and advance to the semifinals.

The Basics

• Location: Bobcat Stadium
• Final Score: UC 2, FSU 1
• Records: Charleston (9-7-3, 7-5-3 MEC), Frostburg State (10-5-4, 7-3-4 MEC)

How It Happened
Charleston entered the match looking for redemption after a 2-0 loss earlier this season at Bobcat Stadium. Frostburg opened the game with heavy pressure, controlling possession and pinning UC deep in its own half. The Bobcats struck first after 10 minutes when a loose clearance fell to one of their forwards, whose initial shot hit the post before being tucked into the net. Moments later, Frostburg threatened again off a corner, but goalkeeper Ines Degli Esposti came up with a strong save to keep the deficit at one.
After weathering a hectic opening 15 minutes, the Golden Eagles began to settle in and find their rhythm. Their first real opportunity came in the 17th minute, and they made it count. Following a midfield turnover, Sydney Crowe took the ball away and drove at the Frostburg defense before sliding a perfectly timed pass to Ava Bourne on the left side of the box. The freshman calmly cut inside onto her right foot, evaded a defender, and slotted home the equalizer.
Frostburg nearly regained the lead in the 22nd minute when a deflected header left Degli Esposti in a one-on-one situation, but she produced a brilliant right-leg save to deny the Bobcats. The teams went into halftime level at 1-1.

Charleston came out strong after the break and quickly seized momentum. In the 50th minute, Anna Gregor's corner found Jamie Bland, whose header was cleared off the line. Alyssa LoGuercio followed up with a shot that was saved by the keeper, but Maya Pooler was in the right place to bury the rebound and give UC the 2-1 lead.
With just under 20 minutes remaining, UC nearly sealed the win. Hannah Goes played a clever ball in behind the Frostburg back line for Isabella Cinco, who found herself 30 yards out with the goalkeeper off her line. Her long-range attempt narrowly missed the target. Frostburg pushed for an equalizer in the closing minutes, but the Charleston defense held firm to secure a hard-earned 2-1 victory, completing the upset over the Bobcats.

Up Next
Charleston advances to the MEC Semifinals, where they'll face the No. 1 seed West Virginia State University on Wednesday, November 12 at 6:00 p.m. in Institute, WV.