MT. PLEASANT, S.C - Three separate College of Charleston women's soccer players scored goals, as the Cougars defeated Charleston Southern, 3-0 on Tuesday night in the annual Silver Cup match at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium.
With the win, the Cougars improved to 4-3-1 on the year, while Charleston Southern dropped to 6-3 with the loss. CofC returns to the pitch on Friday, Sept. 25th when they open Southern Conference play hosting Chattanooga at 7 p.m.
"The Silver Cup is a big deal for this program and one of our goals every preseason is to keep possession of it," said head coach Kevin Dempsey. "Our first goal early in the match kept Charleston Southern on their heels for the rest of the night and we were very efficient with our goal scoring. It was a very hard fought match throughout and we're happy we came out on top."
In the first half, the Cougars got on the board quickly, as Annie Pease (Marietta, Ga.) tallied her fourth goal of the season in the third minute off a deflected Katie Turner corner kick in front of the box. Turner was credited with an assist on the play.
In the 21st minute, Maryam Buazza (Katy, Texas) scored off a Hannah Gmerek (Anderson, S.C.) cross from six yards out. The goal was the second of the season for Buazza and pushed the Cougars to a 2-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Cougars controlled the pace, holding the Lady Bucs to just three shots the whole period. In the 86th minute, Alyssa Bearden (Cary, N.C.) added an insurance goal off a Turner cross. The goal was the first of Bearden's collegiate career.
Overall, the Cougars outshot CSU 10-8 and had a 5-1 advantage on corner kicks. Cougar goal keepers Sarah Wiggers (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Katie Tate (Woodmont, S.C.) combined to shutout the Lady Bucs, as Wiggers made three saves in the first half for CofC.
