Furman-Western Carolina Game Notes
November 2, 1999
THE GAME
The Lady Paladins enter the Southern Conference tournament winners of eight straight matches. Furman is fresh off a 1-0 upset victory over #23 Iowa on Friday at home. While Furman's 17-2 record may be enough to earn the Lady Paladins an at-large bid to the 48-team NCAA Tournament, the Lady Paladins do not want their fate in the hands of the NCAA committee. Furman begins its "second season" Tuesday as the Lady Paladins host eighth seeded Western Carolina. A familiar face will return to Stone Stadium on Tuesday night as Western coach Debbie Hensley makes her first appearance as an opposing coach after spending the last three seasons on the Paladin sideline as assistant coach.
THE SERIES
Furman downed Western Carolina in the season opener 3-0 in a historic match as it was the 100th in the six-year history of the Furman women's soccer program and the first-ever women's soccer match for Western Carolina. This will be the second meeting between the schools.
1999: Fuman 3, WCU 0 in Cullowhee, N.C.
In Greenville: first meeting
In Cullowhee: Furman leads 1-0
THE COACHES
Furman: Brian Lee (Furman '93)
63-49-6 (.559), 6th Year at Furman
63-49-6 (.559), 6th Year Overall
Lee vs. Western Carolina (1-0)
Western Carolina: Debbie Hensley (Ga. So. '96)
10-8-1 (.553), 1st Year at W. Carolina
10-8-1 (.553), 1st Year Overall
Hensley vs. Furman (0-1)
FURMAN-WESTERN CAROLINA LAST MEETING
FURMAN 3, WESTERN CAROLINA 0
Furman spoiled Western Carolina's coming out party with a 3-0 victory in Cullowhee, N.C., in the Lady Catamounts first-ever women's soccer match. The match was the 100th in the history of the Furman women's soccer program. Melissa Sutton scored Furman's first goal of the season late in the first half, while Sarah Tollick and Melissa Turner scored second half goals. The match had special meaning for many of the returning Lady Paladins as Western Carolina's coach was former Furman assistant Debbie Hensley.
FU - Melissa Sutton (Brownlee, Carson) 35:21
FU - Sarah Tollick (Killey, Carson) 63:40
FU - Melissa Turner (N. Muro, Brownlee) 80:44
NOTING THE PALADINS
FIRST TOP 25 UPSET...Furman claimed its first-ever victory over a top 25 program as the Lady Paladins topped Iowa 1-0 to close the regular season. Iowa was ranked 23rd in the Soccer Buzz poll and finished third in the Big Ten this season. Iowa's trip South was not entirely bad, as the Hawkeyes' turned around and thumped Southern Conference foe Wofford 6-1 two days after falling to Furman.
LONGEST WINNING STREAK...Furman has now won eight matches in a row, which ties its longest-ever winning streak. The Lady Paladins last loss was a 4-3 overtime loss to South Carolina in Columbia. Furman has now won 14 of its last 15 matches as they had won six in a row prior to the South Carolina loss. Last season, during a 13-8 campaign, the Lady Paladins also won eight straight matches.
BEST SEASON EVER...The 1999 season has been without a doubt the best season in school history. Coach Brian Lee started the Furman program from scratch in 1994 and actually claimed the Southern Conference regular season title in his second year. The women's soccer program did not claim its first winning season until 1997 and has been on fire since. After a 12-6-2 season in '97 and a 13-8 record last year, Furman has produced a 17-2 record this season. Furman's winning percentage ranks in the nation's top five.
THE RECORDS KEEP FALLING...The Lady Paladins broke or tied 12 records a year ago and continue to shatter the record books this season. As a team, Furman has broken school records for wins (17), goals (58), assists (81), wins on the road (7), fewest losses (2), and shutouts (10). Individually, Melissa Turner holds the Furman single season goal record with 13 this season. Kaye Brownlee entered the season as the holder of the Furman single season points record and set a new mark as she topped her freshman performance. Brownlee has 36 points on 10 goals and 16 assists.
SPECIAL KAYE...After a stellar freshman campaign, Kaye Brownlee continues to dominate opponents as a sophomore. Brownlee is currently leading the nation in assists with 16 on the year after finishing second last season. After just two seasons, Brownlee is Furman's all-time leader in assists with 35, places fourth on Furman's career goals chart with 18, and is third in points with 71.
GO-TO TURNER...Melissa Turner has turned into Furman's clutch scorer as she has scored three overtime game-winners and set the Furman single season goals record with 13 goals this season. In addition, Turner was selected to the all-tournament team at all four tournaments that Furman played in. She was a two-time Southern Conference player-of-the-week and became the first women's soccer player to earn Soccer America Team-of-the-Week honors.
GOLDEN GOAL/SUDDEN DEATH...Furman has experienced both sides of overtime this season as the Lady Paladins have posted a 5-2 record in overtime matches. Furman's only two losses came in overtime, but they have also enjoyed tremendous success in the extra period. Three of those five wins have come in the first few minutes of overtime. Along with Turner's three game-winners, Nicole Malseed and Sarah Tollick have saved the day with game-winners this season.
SECOND HALF SUCCESS...Furman has been a great second half team this season as they have allowed only four second half goals all year. Furman has outscored its opponents 32-4 in the second half this season. In matches that the Lady Paladins have been behind or tied at the half, Furman is 10-1.
SURGING FAST...It took redshirt freshman Lindsey Facciolo a little while to get back into game shape after missing her freshman season due to a foot injury, but she has certainly come on strong recently. She has now scored a goal in four of the last five matches, including game-winners in three of the last five. She scored the lone goal in Furman's 1-0 win over Iowa and earned Southern Conference player-of-the-week honors for her performance.
SOCON DOMINATION...Furman cruised to a perfect 9-0 league record mark this season and outscored SoCon opponents 33-5 this season. Furman needed overtime three times though. Furman shutout six of nine opponents and went to overtime with every team that scored on them.
STEADY PLAYMAKER...Though 5-2 Sarah Tollick may go unnoticed by some outsiders, she has quietly had an incredible season. Tollick has scored seven goals and recorded 11 assists. She has three game-winners, inlcuding one in overtime. Tollick has recorded a goal or an assist in 14 of Furman's 19 matches.
DEFENSE! DEFENSE!...While Furman is eighth in the nation in scoring, the Paladin defense has also made a big difference. Led by marking backs Bridgett Giles and Lauren Killey along with goalkeepers Melissa Barnes and Jessi Anucinski, the Furman defense has allowed only 15 goals and recorded 10 shutouts on the season.
TAKING DOWN THE BIG BOYS...The Furman women's soccer team is not the only giant-killers on the Furman campus. The men's soccer team defeated Clemson 3-2 in overtime and the football team destroyed North Carolina 28-3 during the same week that women's soccer defeated Iowa.
ELITE PROGRAMS..The combined records of the Furman men's and women's soccer programs is 32-3-1, the second best combined record in the nation. Furman trails only Santa Clara, who has a 30-2-1 combined mark for its soccer programs. The Santa Clara women are 18-0 and the men are 12-1-1.
TRIPLE TITLE...For the first time in school history, three fall sports are in sole possession of first place in the Southern Conference standings. While the men's and women's soccer teams have already won the SoCon title, the Furman football team is 5-0 and will face Georgia Southern this weekend for the conference title.