Highlanders Cruise Past Coastal Carolina on Homecoming, 5-2

Radford, Va. -- Senior Nikki Porter (Maryville, Tenn.) posted a pair of goals and an assist and sophomore Tara Oleartchick (Woodbridge, Va.) made seven saves as Radford cruised past Coastal Carolina, 5-2, on Homecoming this afternoon from Patrick D. Cupp Memorial Stadium. The Highlanders, won their fourth straight match and improved to 8-3 overall and 3-0 in the Big South. The Chanticleers who snapped Radford’s three-match shutout streak with a pair of late goals, fell to 5-7-1 overall and 1-2-1 in the Conference.

(In photo: Tara Oleartchick makes a diving save in the second half)

The Highlanders got on the board at 22:04 when junior Sarah Rutherford (Richmond, Va.) headed home a corner kick form Porter for a 1-0 lead. The assist moved Porter into a tie for fifth on RU’s career charts with 20.

Just three minutes later, Coastal’s Emily McColl came close to tying the match, but her shot ringed off the top of the right post. Freshman Brianna Kipper (Hayes, Va.) put the Highlanders up 2-0 in the 34th minute blasting a ball from 30 yards out over CCU keeper Jaclyn Stoll.

Holding on to a two-goal lead, Porter was able to give Radford some breathing room with both her eighth and ninth goals of the season three minutes apart. At 73:51, she possessed a nice pass from senior Debbie Leach (Olney, Md.) and beat a charging Stoll for a 3-0 lead. Just 2:58 later, Kipper sent in a perfect through ball from 30 yards out and Porter one-touched it to the right of Stoll.

In the final 5:11 of the match, the Chanticleers sandwiched a pair of goals around a Highlander tally to make the final margin 5-2. In the 85th minute, CCU’s Emily McColl picked up a loose ball in the 18-yard box and deposited it in a wide open net ending RU’s chance at a fourth-straight shutout. Three minutes later, sophomore Lisa Channon (Oxford, England) stole the ball after a misplayed kick by Stoll and pushed into the goal, making it 5-1. In the final seconds, Coastal’s Laura Weiler headed home a cross from Erin Blevins to finish off the scoring.

Coastal out shot the Highlanders, 15-11 and held a slight advantage in corner kicks, 7-6. Stoll made five saves for the Chanticleers. Radford’s junior Jonita Hooker’s (Woodbridge, Va.) school record point-scoring streak of 10 matches came to an end this afternoon.

Radford jumps right back into action tomorrow, hosting Birmingham-Southern, who defeated Liberty, 3-1 this afternoon, at 2 p.m. The Chanticleers return to action on Wednesday when they head to Charleston Southern for a 3 p.m. match.

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