Hickory, N.C. - The top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Soccer Team (16-1) advanced to the semifinals of the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament with a 2-1 victory over Carson-Newman (5-11-1), the No. 8 seed, Wednesday evening at the Moretz Sports - Athletic Complex.
L-R will face fourth-seeded Anderson in the tournament semifinals on Friday at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill, S.C., beginning at 6 p.m.
Lenoir-Rhyne, ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division II and second in the region, received two second-half goals from junior midfielder Carley Griffin (Fresno, Calif.) and redshirt freshman defender Hanna Kiebel (Parker, Colo.) en route to the win.
After a scoreless first half, the Bears finally broke through when Griffin finished off a cross from senior midfielder Kaelia Frazier (Cedar Falls, Iowa) in the 60th minute for her team-leading 11th goal of the year.
Kiebel made it a 2-0 Lenoir-Rhyne advantage with a penalty kick at the 67:24 mark of the second half before Carson-Newman cut the deficit in half with a goal in the 77th minute.
The Eagles' Trenna Howell (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) scored her team-leading 13th goal of the season after receiving a long pass down the right side from Lizeth Munguia (Wilmington, N.C.) and turning and scoring from the corner.
Munguia was credited with the assist on the play but the Bears were able to hold on for the win.
Lenoir-Rhyne also held a 28-9 advantage in shots taken in notching its school-record 15th straight victory.
L-R junior goalkeeper Caitlin Scruggs (Torrance, Calif.) was credited with the win while Carson-Newman's Sarah Tompkins (Franklin, Wis.) suffered the loss in goal despite tallying 11 saves on the evening.
