AASU SOCCER: 2009 PBC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS!

Release Courtesy of the Peach Belt Conference

EVANS, Ga. – The Armstrong Atlantic State Pirates put up a record five goals and won their first-ever PBC women’s soccer tournament championship 5-2 over Montevallo as part of the PBC-GEICO Championship series. Tournament MVP Kristin Burton scored two goals with two assists as AASU receives the PBC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The 2009 tournament championship game was the highest-scoring in PBC history. The seven combined goals is more than double scored in any other PBC championship game. AASU becomes the first team to put up five goals in a championship game and move to 15-3-3 on the year while Montevallo, the first #8 seed to play in the championship game, sees their season come to a close with a 8-9-3 overall record.

Armstong Atlantic began the game with an offensive surge, taking the first three shots of the game. Burton found the goal in the first five minutes, but the score was waved off for an offiside.

Montevallo was content to counter punch and put on pressure of their own following the first 20 minutes. That strategy paid off at the 29:22 mark as Paige Scott poked a cross from Jenna Kuzemski past a diving Tracey Mitchell for the first goal of the game.

Armstrong Atlantic State responded with a flurry of offense, taking two shots and three corners in a 10-minute span that resulted in a Burton goal at the 40:47 mark. Erin O’Rourke beat a defender on the left side and sent the ball to Katie Jesser, who one-touched a cross to Burton who beat UM keeper Alyssa Maxwell one-on-one. The score was tied 1-1 at the half.

The second half got off to a bang as both teams scored in the first five minutes. Montevallo went up 2-1 less than two minutes into the second half as Paige Scott found Natalie Martineau in the middle. Martineau, one-on-one, dribbled left and shot right into the side of the net.

Armstrong responded less than two minutes later as a Burton corner kick found the head of Carey Patterson, who out-jumped the UM defenders to tie the game at two. The goal was the first career score for Patterson.

AASU took their first lead of the game at the 55:41 mark as Morgan Mitchell scored off assists from Erin Holt and Kristina Pascutti. Mitchell took a rebound of Pascutti’s shot an put it home.

Another Burton corner gave AASU their fourth goal in the 71st minute. Her perfect cross sailed above every head except Mitchell’s, who scored her second goal of the game.

Montevallo had their opportunities to close the gap in the second half. Martineau had two opportunities, including a sliding effort with 13 minutes left, but both efforts were just wide of the goal.

Burton scored her 2nd goal on a penalty kick with 10 minutes remaining after Pascutti was taken down from behind in the penalty box. The goal for Burton was the 93rd in her career.

The Ocala, Fla., native was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Patterson, Mitchell and junior Lianne Stricklen, who had the match-winner in the semifinals against Lander on Friday.

Armstrong Atlantic State will find out who their first opponent in the NCAA Southeast Regional tournament will be when the full 48-team field is announced on Monday at 7:00 pm.

View more pictures from the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship match on the AASU Pirate Athletic facebook page here !