Sunday, November 08, 2009

KENNESAW, Ga. - Jade Dempster found the net with a penalty-kick goal in the 87th minute lifting Kennesaw State to its second Atlantic Sun Women’s Soccer Championship in the last three seasons with a 2-1 victory against Belmont, on Saturday from the KSU Soccer Complex.

The Kennesaw State picked up the penalty kick on a Belmont hand ball inside the 18-yard box. The penalty came due to tremendous pressure from Kennesaw State. The Owls fired in a corner kick that all-tournament honoree Maylee Attin-Johnson headed on net. The header would have found the net had it not been for a driving stop by Belmont defender Jessica Rix, who controlled the shot and cleared the box. Kennesaw State’s Brittany Vining gathered the clear and fired the ball back into the 18-yard box and finding the hand of a Belmont defender.

Following a brief delay due to a Belmont injury, Dempster stepped up to the penalty spot and drilled a low shot into the left corner of the net. Belmont goalkeeper Sari Lin guessed the shot would go to the right side and drove to that side. The win extends the Owls’ dominance over the Bruins. They own a 4-0-2 mark since joining the A-Sun.

Rix gave Belmont the early lead in the first half on a penalty kick in the 18th minute. A hard slide tackle inside the 18-yard box gave Rix the opportunity. The senior fired a shot left side and Kennesaw State goalkeeper Staci Pugh guessed wrong and the Bruins gained the early advantage. The strike from the penalty shot would be the only goal allowed by Pugh, who earned tournament MVP honors. Belmont entered Saturday’s final undefeated this year when scoring first.

Maylee Attin-Johnson found the net with the equalizer early in the second half with a header inside the the 18-yard box. The goal also helped re-energize the Owls, who struggled in the first half getting balls through the midfield. Attin-Johnson led the Owls on the field both vocally and with her play in the first half as Kennesaw State struggled offensively.

The title gives Kennesaw State its second Atlantic Sun title of the fall season adding to the Men’s Cross Country title the Owls earned last week. The Owls earn the conference’s automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA tournament and they will find out where they will be headed during the NCAA Women’s Soccer selection show, scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Monday and can be seen on ESPNews.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.