RALEIGH – The UNC Pembroke soccer team got a 108
th minute goal from senior
Kristina Stevenson to help support goalkeeper
Gina Ryan's Peach Belt Conference record-breaking 29
th career shutout and the Braves dodged an upset scare from Shaw with a 1-0 victory over the Bears on Wednesday afternoon at The MAC.
Ryan, who matched the PBC mark with a shutout of Barton on Tuesday evening, staked claim to the league's most coveted record for netminders despite facing just one shot on the day. The triumph kept the Black & Gold (3-0-0) undefeated through three games for the first time since the 2014 campaign. The contest marked the season opener for Shaw (0-1-0) who was facing the Braves for the first time in program history.
| QUOTABLES |
| "I am so proud of Gina and the team," said head coach Lars Andersson. "Today's win was hard fought and Gina breaking the PBC all-time shutout record serves as icing on the cake. She has a tremendous amount of God-given talent, but, make no mistake, she spends an enormous amount of time perfecting her craft. I also want to give a ton of credit to Coach Padilla who continues to challenge our goalkeepers to get better each and every day in training. It is also worth pointing out that this is a result of the commitment of defending that we stress every day. We take pride in each and every shutout she is credited with, and a number of players have played a huge role in this accomplishment over the past couple of years." |
| SCORING SUMMARY |
| 108' |
Newcomer Paula Valbuena's perfectly-placed corner kick caught the head of senior Kristina Stevenson who redirected it into the back of the net for the win in sudden death overtime. |
| TOP BRAVES |
+ Senior Gina Ryan broke the Peach Belt Conference shutout record with her 29th shutout. She faced just one second-half shot, but no shots on goal.
+ Kristina Stevenson logged her first score since netting the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Lander on Oct. 1, 2017. It was her third career game-winning goal.
+ Junior Paula Valbuena, a transfer from Ohio Valley University, scored the first point (assist) of her UNCP career. It was her first assist since feeding the game-tying pass in a 2-2 tie with Ursuline in September of last season. |
| NOTABLES |
+ UNCP has not allowed a goal in nearly 288 minutes of action so far this season. To add insult to their opponents' injury, the Black & Gold defense has surrendered just two shots on goal in 2019, and that came in the season opener against Mount Olive.
+ Wednesday's victory marks the first time since the 2017 campaign that UNCP has won consecutive road games. The last road win for UNCP was at Georgia Southwestern during the 2018 season. The Braves captured just one road victory last season. |
| UP NEXT |
| The Braves will be back in action again on Saturday when they travel to Hickory to take on Lenoir-Rhyne (2-0-0). The game is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Moretz Sports-Athletic Complex. |
