FLORENCE, SC – Junior Brittany Smith scored a second-half goal off a Lexxis Cherry corner kick, but it was not enough as Francis Marion University fell at the hands of Elon University 6-1, Sunday afternoon (Oct. 6) in non-conference women’s soccer action.

Francis Marion will play at Georgia Southern University on Thursday evening at 7 p.m.  The next home match for the Patriots will be Sunday, Oct. 13, against Davidson College at 2 p.m.

Elon outshot FMU 17-6 and held an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks as the Phoenix improve to 7-2-3.

Junior Marissa Russo scored the first of her two goals on the afternoon in the eighth minute to give the Phoenix an early 1-0 lead.  Francis Marion had its best scoring opportunity of the opening half in the 17th minute when junior Elizabeth Asare dribbled in from the left sideline and crossed the ball through the 6-yard box.  However, no Patriot was able to get a foot on the pass and it rolled harmlessly out of the penalty area.

Senior Catherine Brinkman doubled the Elon margin to 2-0 at the 23:00 mark when she converted a 5-yard shot off a corner kick by Olivia Mackey.

The Phoenix scored three times in a seven-minute span early in the second stanza.

Smith’s tally, her first of the 2013 campaign and the second of her career, came when she propelled her 5-1 frame above the crowd to head in Cherry’s corner.  The corner kick was earned when junior Chanel Harris had her 10-yard shot at an open goal – goalkeeper was caught out – deflected by an Elon defender.

Earlier in the 84th minute, junior Dominique Evans got off a shot from just outside the 18-yard box, but it climbed over the crossbar.

Evans and Smith each recorded two shots.

FMU sophomore goalkeeper Taylor O’Berry registered four saves in 56 minutes of action, while freshman Kim Newton made one stop in 34 minutes of play.  The Phoenix used three keepers over the course of the match, with starter Kate Murphy playing the first 60 minutes.

Elon University (7-2-3) def. Francis Marion Univ. (0-11-0) 6-1
Date: Oct 06, 2013  Attendance: 157
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 84 degrees, Wind SSW at 5 mph

Goals by period         1  2  Tot
-----------------------------------
Elon University.....     2  4 -  6
Francis Marion Univ.  0  1 -  1
 
SCORING SUMMARY:
1-0.   7:38 ELON Russo, Marissa (3) (Dennion, Nicole) - 11 yard shot after cross from left side
2-0.  23:00 ELON Brinkman, Catherine (2) (Mackey, Olivia) - Off corner kick, deflected off FMU defenders, 5-yd shot
3-0.  53:23 ELON Russo, Marissa (4) (Funari, Angela) - CK, header off crossbar, then rebound shot from 4 yards
4-0.  54:24 ELON McGorty, Jennifer (6) (Krauss, Kimmie) - cross from left into box, 10-yard shot
5-0.  59:51 ELON Dennion, Nicole (8) (unassisted) - Off rebound of own shot
6-0.  74:50 ELON Houpt, Bethany (1) (unassisted) - 26-yard shot from right of middle
6-1.  89:21 FMU_W Brittney Smith (1) (Lexxis Cherry) - header near near post off corner kick

Shots: Elon University 17, Francis Marion Univ. 6 ; Saves: Elon University 4 (Mohr, Taylor 2; Branson, Sydney 1; TEAM 1), Francis Marion Univ. 5 (Kim Newton 1; Taylor O'Berry 4)

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