ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop women’s soccer team fell 2-1 in its 2012 season opener to the Western Carolina Catamounts on Sunday afternoon at Eagle Field.

The loss drops the Lady Eagles to 0-1 on the new season, while the Catamounts improve to 1-2 overall.

“We picked up the intensity in the second half,” said head coach Spencer Smith. “Western Carolina is a good side and they showed that in the first 45 minutes today. We rose to the challenge in the second half and played much better.”

Western Carolina tallied its first goal of the afternoon in the 28^th minute off of a Winthrop own goal. On the play, Markie Studnicky took on a defender just outside the 18-yard box before playing in a cross which deflected off of a Lady Eagle defender and into the net. The Catamounts would get the game-winner just under ten minutes later on a glancing header by Christine Kaznowski in the 37^th minute. Kaznowski was able to get onto the end of a cross played in by Mackenzie Cole from the far side.

Western Carolina outshot the Lady Eagles 10-4 in the first half and 5-3 in attempts on-net.

Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Winthrop pulled within a goal in the 67^th minute when Lia Gorden found the back of the net off a pass from Devin Puckett. The play started down the right side of the field with Krystyna Freda who played a cross into Puckett. Puckett let the ball run across the face of the goal enticing Catamount goalkeeper Katie Jacobs to come out and challenge. In the face of the challenge Puckett laid the ball back to Gorden who shot into an open net near side.

Krystyna Freda had a team-high five shots in the match for the Lady Eagles with three coming on goal. Laura Greb led the way for Western Carolina with three shots and two on-goal for the afternoon. In her first career start for Winthrop, goalkeeper Amelia Henderson tallied seven saves while her counterpart Katie Jacobs recorded eight saves for the match.

The Lady Eagles will be back in action on Wednesday, August 29 when they travel to Orangeburg, SC to take on the Bulldogs of South Carolina State at 7 p.m.

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