No. 3 UWF ends regular season with 3-0 victory

October 28, 2012

UWF extends shutout streak to six games to finish regular season with a record of 17-1

Senior Tori Fish scored her third and fourth goals of the season against Valdosta State Sunday (Photo by Bill Stockland)

Related Item: Box Score

VALDOSTA, Ga. – Senior Tori Fish (Bellaire, Texas/Bellaire HS) scored two goals and the No. 3 West Florida defense recorded its sixth consecutive shutout as the Argos finished the regular season with a 3-0 win at Gulf South Conference No. 2 Valdosta State.

The Argos (17-1-0, 9-0-0 GSC) prevented VSU (13-3-2, 6-2-1) from clinching the No. 2 seed in the GSC Tournament on the Blazers’ senior day as keeper Sarah Story (Hoover, Ala./Darton) recorded eight saves for her conference leading ninth shutout of the season.

UWF defeated VSU 1-0 in Pensacola on Oct. 14 in a nonconference match. VSU needed a win or a North Alabama loss to clinch the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament coming into today’s match.

UWF clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament with a win over West Alabama on Oct. 21, but was playing to strengthen their grasp on the No. 1 spot in the NCAA South Region rankings.

Fish, who scored her second goal of the season Friday against West Georgia, got the scoring started late in the first half. Chelsea Palmer (Plano, Texas/Tyler JC), who leads the GSC in assists, sent a free kick to Taylor Harbison (Neptune Beach, Fla./Fletcher HS) who passed to Fish in the box for the score at the 35:18 mark.

Late in the second half, Monica Malavassi (San Jose, Costa Rica/University of Costa Rica) sent a corner kick to Fish in the box and the senior midfielder shot a header past the keeper to add an insurance goal and put UWF up 2-0 with 86:10 on the clock.

One minute later, Harbison added another assist when she sent a throw in to Shelby Bush (Shalimar, Fla./Darton) who flicked the ball behind her and over the keeper and into the net for her team-leading 12th goal of the season.

The Argos outshot the Blazers 29-12 and had nine corner kicks to Valdosta’s one.

UWF will receive a first-round bye in the GSC Tournament which will start on Nov. 1 at Ashton Brosnaham Park. The Argos will play in the semifinals Friday.

If UWF remains the No. 1 team in the NCAA South Region when the NCAA Selection Committee announces the postseason selections in the NCAA selection show on Nov. 5, the Argos would receive a first-round bye and host a first-round match at the UWF Soccer Complex on Nov. 9. UWF would play the winner of that game at home on Nov. 11.

For information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.

#ARGOS#

                          Soccer Game Summary (Final)
                          West Florida Women's Soccer
         #3 West Florida vs Valdosta State (10/28/12 at Valdosta, GA.)

West Florida (17-1, 9-0 GSC) vs. Valdosta State (13-3-2, 6-2-1 GSC)
Date: 10/28/12 Attendance: 295
Weather:

Goals by period 1 2 Tot
-------------------------------
West Florida........ 1 2 - 3
Valdosta State...... 0 0 - 0

SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 35:18 UWF Tori Fish (3) (Chelsea Palmer;Taylor Harbison) - Free kick from Palmer to Harbison, Fish finished in the box
2. 86:10 UWF Tori Fish (4) (Monica Malavassi) - Malavassi corner for Fish header on left side of goal
3. 87:16 UWF Shelby Bush (18) (Taylor Harbison) – Throw in flicked in goal