NC State
2-0-0
Navy
0-1-1
Berger PK Gives Pack Win over Navy
8/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 21, 2011
RALEIGH, N.C. - Alex Berger's 88th-minute penalty kick gave NC State a 1-0 victory over Navy Sunday afternoon from Dail Soccer Field.
The fifth-year senior from nearby Cary, N.C., picked a fine time for her first collegiate tally to give NC State a 2-0 record to start the season. Navy moves to 0-1-1.
Senior forward Tanya Cain's resiliency finally paid off in the late stages of the match. Penetrating the Navy defense all afternoon, Cain was taken down in the box at the 87:54 mark. The yellow card from Kahra Kelty gave Berger her chance at scoring that elusive first goal.
Navy goalie Alexes Lopez-Shaw guessed correctly, but Berger put too much pace on her shot and tickled the back of the net for the game's only marker.
Senior keeper Kim Kern stopped five shots for second-straight clean sheet and 12th of her career, tying with Gretchen Lear and Megan Connors for fifth most in school history.
The Wolfpack record back-to-back shutout wins to begin a season for the third time in the last four seasons, and the second time under the leadership of third-year head coach Steve Springthorpe.
Wearing black jerseys under a hot August sun, the Wolfpack generated plenty of scoring chances, outshooting its visitors by a 14-5 margin, and came up with 13 corner kicks to just two for the Mids.
The best save of the game came in the 18th minute when Lopez-Shaw snatched what looked to be a goal from NC State freshman Julia Sandridge, who had lofted a shot into the upper-right corner from 18 yards.
Senior reserve forward Kristina Argiroff nearly put the Pack ahead in the first five minutes of the second half when she got a head on a chip from Sandridge, but the Navy keeper was up to the task to make one of her five saves on the day.
NC State hosts Old Dominion on Friday at 8 p.m. The men's soccer team will also be in action that day with a 5:30 pm contest as part of a doubleheader at Dail Soccer Field.
Team Stats
Alex Berger (1)
ST Alex Berger PENALTY KICK GOAL, goal number 1 for season.
87:54
