Columbus State Beats Tusculum 2-0; Advances to National Quarterfinals

Columbus, GA - Columbus State followed a familiar pattern Friday in its 2-0 win over Tusculum. The Lady Cougars got a first half goal and let the defense do the rest as they continue their history-making run in the 2007 season.

The win over the top-seeded Pioneers pushes the CSU season record for wins to 20 and also gives the emerging program its first region title in just its second post-season appearance since starting the program in 2004. The sixth-ranked Lady Cougars advance to face 14th-ranked Tampa at 1 PM Sunday for the right to advance to the Division II Championship.

The Lady Cougars got on the board midway through the first half as Stephanie Parrish got her 17th goal of the season. Parrish and Hannah Ospina put on a two-person run at Pioneers keeper Tori Hadjopoulos with Ospina laying a perfect cross to the feet of the speeding freshman. She hammered it into the net for a 1-0 lead at the 21:49 mark of the period. CSU would make that score stand until the break, limiting TC to just two shots in the period - only one of which was on goal and saved by Monica Sanchez.

Kellie Myles got some insurance for CSU early in the second half. Just over two minutes into the period, Myles took a Jill Walthall pass and beat Hadjopoulos for a 2-0 lead.

CSU then relied on its defense to finish the deal the rest of the way. The Lady Cougars did manage to get off 11 more shots, but held the Pioneers to just three shots to preserve the shutout. Sanchez made one more save to finish with two for the game.

Tusculum got a solid performance from Hadjopoulos between the posts. Despite the two goals, the freshman recorded 12 saves - six in each half as CSU sent 24 shots toward her goal. She recorded 14 saves in a 1-0 win over CSU on August 31.

CSU led in total shots by a 24-5 margin and held a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks. The Lady Cougars committed 16 fouls to eight by the Pioneers and there were no cautions issued.

Sunday's quarterfinal game features the third game in row with an opportunity for CSU to avenge an early season loss. The Lady Cougars have beaten Carson-Newman and Tusculum after losing to both and will now face Tampa who handed CSU its most lopsided loss of the year in a 4-0 drubbing in the season opener on August 24. Kickoff is set for 1 PM at the CSU Soccer Complex as both teams vie for a spot among the nation's four best Division II teams in Orange Beach, AL, on November 30 - December 2.

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