CHARLESTON, SC -- Freshman Danielle Petro provided the game-winning goal off a Sarah Tollick assist to push the top-seeded Furman Lady Paladins into the semifinals with a 3-2 overtime win over Appalachian State in the opening round of the Southern Conference Tournament today in Charleston.
The Lady Paladins took an early lead just moments before halftime when Melissa Turner broke free down the sideline. Turner crossed the ball into the penalty box where Lindsey Facciolo knocked home the goal to give Furman a 1-0 lead.
Appalachian State's Kristen Costello tied the score after beating the Furman defense and finding the back of the net past Furman goalkeeper Melissa Barnes. Renee Stetkevich added the second goal 11 minutes later off a Keisha Prescott assist to give the Mountaineers a 2-1 lead
Furman's Turner notched another assist to Facciolo as she added her second goal of the match with 13 minutes remaining on a 25-yard blast that beat Appalachian State goalkeeper Kristen McNeill to tie the score.
Furman dominated the overtime period, outshooting the Mountaineers 4-0. Early in the overtime period goalkeeper Kristen McNeill made a spectacular save on a Sarah Tollick shot to keep the match tied. Tollick later collected a free ball outside the penalty box and passed off to Danielle Petro, who knocked a 20-yard shot into the back of the net to end the match.
"When it comes tournament time, you get the best out of every team," said Furman head coach Brian Lee. "Appalachian State played a great match, and we came away with a very hard fought victory. I was really pleased with the way Lindsey (Facciolo) stepped up and played well today."
For the 13th ranked Lady Paladins, it was thier first overtime match of the season. Furman improved to 19-1 overall on the season and earned its 22nd consecutive Southern Conference win dating back to the 1999 season. With the loss, Appalachian State finished the season 7-11-2. Furman will face the winner of the Davidson-Wofford match in the tournament semifinals on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
Scoring:
Corner Kicks: FU - 8, ASU - 5
Saves: FU - 2, ASU - 4
Fouls: FU - 6, ASU - 6