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HomeSportsAPSU Lady Govs Soccer beats Belmont Bruins 3-1

APSU Lady Govs Soccer beats Belmont Bruins 3-1

Austin Peay State University Lady Govs - APSUNashville, TN – A wet, windy day at E.S. Rose Park could not hold down the Austin Peay State University women’s soccer offense any more than the Belmont defense could. Despite a slower-than-average start, the Lady Govs scored three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 victory against the Bruins Sunday.

Austin Peay Women Soccer's Gina Fabbro.
Austin Peay Women Soccer’s Gina Fabbro.

Austin Peay (8-1-2, 3-0-1 OVC) continues to dominate on the offensive side of the ball; the Lady Govs are averaging 2.75 goals per game in four OVC contests. Despite jumping out to an early lead, Belmont falls to 3-5-2 (1-2-1 OVC).

Belmont struck first with less than seven minutes gone in the first half. An Austin Peay foul set up a Belmont free kick from roughly 25 yards away. Belmont junior Alison Alcott took the free kick and lobbed it into the box, where it carried over the head of everyone, including Lady Govs netminder Nikki Filippone, and into the net for an early goal.

Andy Quiceno“Hats off to them for getting the ball in the net early,” said head coach Kelley Guth. “We knew they were dangerous off set plays after what they did against Murray State on Friday.”

While the first half was not the offensive onslaught Austin Peay enjoyed at Tennessee Tech on Friday, the Lady Govs kept consistent pressure and on Belmont’s net and finally broke through in the 29th minute thanks to senior Andy Quiceno, who beat Belmont keeper Nicole Berner’s challenge and slid the ball into the lower right corner for her season’s third goal. With her 13th career goal, Quiceno takes sole possession of fifth in Austin Peay history, passing Erica Dengler (2003-06) and Kaylee Yago (2002-05).

Frankie CarbajalAustin Peay took the lead early in the second period, thanks to once again to Frankie Carbajal. The junior from Jackson, Tennessee found the back of the net for the game-winner in similar fashion to her goal against UT Martin on September 27th, heading in a corner kick from senior Natalia Ariza to give Austin Peay a 2-1 lead.

Ariza, who has reinvented herself as a defensive presence after scoring 29 points in her first two Austin Peay season’s, surpassed Jessica Hosse (2004-07) for sole possession of fifth place on the all-time points list with 33 career points.

Freshman Mary Ruth Locastro netted Austin Peay’s third goal of the day. The Memphis native’s first career goal was a laser from 35 yards away that Berner could not handle; it hit just under the crossbar and bounced down and into the net, making Locastro the only freshman other than Gina Fabbro with a goal in 2013.

Mary Ruth Locastro“Playing into the wind in the first half was difficult, but we wanted it for the second half,” Guth said. “I’m very proud of how we came back and the fight we showed playing in this weather.”

Filippone made four saves on the day, giving her two wins, a shutout and six saves on the weekend. Belmont’s Berner made four saves in a losing effort.

The Lady Govs return to Morgan Brothers Field for a pair of matches next weekend, beginning with OVC-leading Eastern Illinois in a 7 p.m., Friday, matchup. Sunday’s 2 p.m. slot against SIU Edwardsville will serve as Senior Day, with the Lady Govs set to honor eight seniors who’ve led Austin Peay to two OVC Tournament championship matches and hope to return again in November.

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