Oct. 15, 2010

Box Score

Fairfax, Va. - The George Mason women's soccer team suffered its first home loss in Colonial Athletic Association play on Friday night as the Patriots gave up a pair of second-half goals to UNC Wilmington, falling to the Seahawks, 2-1. Mason is slipped from a three-way tie for third in the CAA standings to fifth with four matches to play.

The Seahawks (8-7-0, 5-2-0) scored a pair of goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half, flipping the momentum on the Patriots (8-6-1, 4-3-0) who had dominated action thoroughly in the first half. Mason now trails the Seahawks, Hofstra and James Madison, the three teams that have beaten the Patriots this year, and on Sunday, Mason will face the fourth team it trails, Georgia State.

Both teams had chances in the opening minutes as UNCW had a corner kick in the first minute and Mason had one in the second. In the third minute, Tiana Kallenberger crossed to an unmarked Omolyn Davis whose header went just wide. Both teams continued to squander their few opportunities until the 21st minute when the Patriots won a ball in the midfield and Kimmy Moss left it for Capricia Alston who scored top left from 35 yards out. The score stayed that way at the half as Mason had a 17-6 edge in shots but it was just 4-4 in shots on goal.

The Seahawks needed less than a minute in the second half to tie the match. The Mason backline turned the ball over and Stephanie Rose was there to grab it and start a breakaway, coming up the left side, she forced Mason goal keeper Alex Bodenschatz to commit and Rose went far post on the ground to make it 1-1. In the 55th minute, UNCW took the lead off a corner kick. Meagan Simeone set up on the left side and sent the ball into the box where Megan Novak waited and she got her head on the ball putting it in for a 2-1 lead.

Mason nearly had the equalizer in the 73rd minute when Kelly Thomas sent a free kick into the box and Davis got her head on it but Caitlin Hunter played it well and made the save.

The Patriots will return to action on Sunday when they host second-place Georgia State (11-3-2, 5-1-1) at 1 p.m. It will be Senior Day for Mason's four seniors.