Cobras Ready for SAC Showdown with Bears

By: Jake Miller

HARTSVILLE, S.C.- The Coker women's soccer team will take on the Bears of Lenoir-Rhyne in South Atlantic Conference play on Wednesday (Oct. 19).

The Cobras are coming off a 2-1, 2OT loss at Lincoln Memorial last Saturday (Oct. 15). Lincoln Memorial took the lead in the 10^th minute, and took a 1-0 lead to the half. Coker would tie the game shortly into the second half when Autumn Fetterolf found Ashley Hogg and the freshman netted her second goal of the season off of Fetterolf's second helper of the season. 

The teams went to overtime tied at one-apiece, as the Cobras played their first extra time affair of the season. The teams played 10 minutes of free soccer with no goals and went to a second ten-minute period. The teams played just two minutes and change in the second overtime period before a Railsplitter goal gave the home team the win. 

Farrah Brown registered two shots; one on goal while Autumn Fetterolf fired two shots on goal for the Navy and Gold. Shelby Middleton made nine saves in the contest.

On the year, Phoebie Eshen leads Coker with three goals, while Shelby Middleton has played exceptionally well between the pipes. The sophomore has the 10^th-highest total for minutes played (664:36), the 12^th-best individual goals against average (1.76) and leads the conference in saves with 62. She is also fifth in the SAC in save percentage at .827.

The Bears come into the matchup with a 9-3-2 overall record and a 5-2-1 mark in the SAC. Kendall Smith leads the Bears offensively, having totaled 16 points on six goals and four assists on the season. In goal, the Bears turn to Andrea Leano, who owns a 0.95 goals against average and has made 42 saves in her time between the pipes.

The match is slated for a 4:30 p.m. start at the Coker College athletic field. Tickets for the match are $5 for adults, $3 for students and free to all Coker faculty, staff and students.