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Belmont Abbey College

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Belmont Abbey Conference Tournament Champs
2
Winner Belmont Abbey BAC (16-4-1, 11-1-1)
1
Francis Marion FMU (17-2-0, 12-1-0)
Winner
Belmont Abbey BAC
(16-4-1, 11-1-1)
2
Final
1
Francis Marion FMU
(17-2-0, 12-1-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Belmont Abbey BAC 0 2 2
Francis Marion FMU 0 1 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Conference Champs! Crusaders Take Tournament Title with 2-1 win over FMU

BROWNS SUMMIT, N.C. — For the first time since 2014, the Belmont Abbey women's soccer team captured a Conference Carolinas Tournament title. 

Anna Richárd and Sabrina Cunha tallied second half goals and the Crusaders held off a late charge from top seed Francis Marion 2-1 in the final on a windy Sunday afternoon at the Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park.

The Crusaders earned the win against the No. 18 team in the country, avenging an earlier loss in the regular season and a loss in the conference championship game last season. It was the third straight appearance in the conference championship game for the Abbey.

The Crusaders improved to 16-4-1 and earned the automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament scheduled to begin next weekend. Francis Marion is now 17-2 on the season and will await its postseason fate.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • With the Crusaders playing into the wind in the first half, Belmont Abbey held defensively by holding the Patriots to just four shots.
  • Ryleigh Dougherty made three saves in the first half to keep the match scoreless.
  • Belmont Abbey did not record a shot in the first half.
  • Dougherty made a key save in the 59th minute to keep the match scoreless.
  • The Crusaders' first shot of the match came in the 64th minute and made the most of it as Richárd found the back of the net off the assist from Hannah Willis.
  • Less than four minutes later, Cunha found the back of the net for her ninth goal of the season when a cross from Maris Toppin was deflected off a Patriot defender and Cunha scored on the volley.
  • Francis Marion got on the board with a goal in the 83rd minute from Tehya Davé to make it 2-1.
  • A potential game-tying goal was waved off with less than four minutes to go from Francis Marion.
  • The Crusaders held the Patriots without a shot in the final seven minutes to preserve the win.
  • Belmont Abbey just had three shots in the win.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
  • Following the conclusion of the match, Anna Richárd, Hanna Doerr, Haley Long and Jayme O'Neill were named to the All-Tournament team.
  • Cunha was named the tournament's most outstanding player.

UP NEXT
  • The NCAA selection show is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday.
  • The show can be viewed on NCAA.com.
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