PEMBROKE – For the second-consecutive season and the fifth time in program history, the UNC Pembroke soccer team will play host to a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Tournament quarterfinal match when Georgia College invades Lumbee River EMC Stadium Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Any UNCP student with a valid student ID will be admitted free on Tuesday. Adult tickets are $5, while seniors, children, military and faculty tickets are $3.
"We've had tremendous fan support all season long," head coach
Lars Andersson said. "We have a lot of parents, siblings, students, faculty members and other coaches that come out on a regular basis and we have the Black & Gold Barmy Army that is growing and getting louder with every game, so it's a huge advantage to us to play at home. I love our facility and we love playing there. We are very comfortable at Lumbee River EMC Stadium and I think it shows where our program has been and is now that we get to host these type of games."
The Braves (12-4-1, 7-2-1 PBC) grabbed the No. 4-seed in the league tournament on a 97th-minute, overtime goal in the season finale against Young Harris. UNCP found the back of the net in the final two minutes of a half or scored in overtime five times this season and went 4-0-1 in those contests. The Black & Gold has allowed just 11 goals in 17 games this season and notched a PBC-best 10 shutouts in 12 victories. Sophomore goalkeeper
Gina Ryan leads all PBC netminders in goals against average (0.61), save percentage (.873) and shutouts (8).
"I love this group and they never give up on any game as evident by our late-match heroics," Anderson remarked. "They make my hair fall out and what little hair I have left is going to turn gray, but it's a fun group to be around."
The Bobcats (11-5-0, 7-3-0 PBC) used an upset of No. 15 Columbus State on the final day of the regular season to jump into fifth place in the league standings. Georgia College closed the season with six-straight wins by a combined 22-4 score. Redshirt-junior forward Amanda Bartholomew led all PBC players with 20 goals and 46 points this season and found the back of the net in the final nine games and all but three of the Bobcats' 16 outings this season.
"Georgia College will be a fantastic opponent," Andersson added. "They are well-coached, they have some special players and we take nothing for granted in the Peach Belt (Conference). I think the second matchup becomes more of a chess game. Both teams have great coaching staffs and will make the necessary adjustments. But in the end, it's still the same players on the pitch. We know what Georgia College is capable of and I truly think this game can go either way."
Tuesday's quarterfinal will mark the second meeting this season between the Braves and Bobcats after UNCP used a 28th-minute, penalty kick goal from
Haley Stewart to knock off Georgia College 1-0 on Sept. 28 in Pembroke. The Black & Gold entered the contest 3-3 through six games before rattling off wins in nine of their final 11 matches (9-1-1).
The sides have met twice in postseason play in series history and split the two matches. The Braves won a 2-1 semifinal match in 2008, while the Bobcats picked up a 2-1 victory in a 2015 quarterfinal contest in Milledgeville.
The winner of Tuesday's quarterfinal will advance to the league semifinals to take on the winner of the No. 1-seed North Georgia and No. 8-seed USC Aiken match. The Braves are looking to make an appearance in the semifinals for the second-consecutive season and sixth time in program history. The other two quarterfinal matchups pit No. 2-seed Columbus State against No. 7-seed Lander and No. 3-seed Flagler against No. 6-seed Young Harris.
"This is a really special group of players and staff," Andersson said. "We said from the beginning that 18 players are enough to get the job done. We've had some players banged up here and there throughout the season but that's expected in college soccer. It's just a matter of letting those players find a way to grind through it and contribute when they can. They love playing, love each other and I am extremely proud of what they have accomplished and I have a lot of faith in this group of players."
