Owls Win Sixth Straight

Friday, October 27

Boca Raton, Fla.

7:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

10-7-2(7-4-0SBC)

FIU

5-12-0 (3-8-0SBC)

Florida Internat'l

Florida Atlantic

10/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Oct. 27, 2006

Box Score

BOCA RATON, FL - Tessa McGarrity scored a pair of goals and Christina Chang buried a penalty kick late to give Florida Atlantic University a 3-0 win over Florida International University in women's soccer at FAU Field on Friday.

The match was the final regular-season contest for both teams. The Owls will enter the Sun Belt Conference Championship on a six-game winning streak, allowing just one goal over that span.

"We're excited to head into our first Sun Belt tournament. We're happy to enter the tournament on a nice winning streak and we are playing the best we have all year," head coach Brian Dooley said.

McGarrity scored her first goal of the game in the 26th minute on a great pass from Susanna Lehtinen, who had dribbled past two defenders on the near sideline, brought the keeper out and feathered a pass across the box to McGarrity who tapped it into an empty net.

Lehtinen nearly had a goal of her own in the 38th minute when she fired a shot on a great cross from Alicia Tirelli, but Golden Panther goalkeeper Madeline Gannon dove across the mouth of the goal fully extended to knock the shot away.

Florida International's best scoring chance of the game came in the 45th minute, when Natalie D'Oria was forced to make a save off the shot of Valerie Patrick.

FAU held a 1-0 advantage at the half, outshooting FIU 6-2.

The Owls would control much of the play in the second half, and didn't allow the Golden Panthers to have a clear look at Megan Coyne in net. The Owls would blank the Golden Panthers in the final 45 minutes, not allowing a single shot attempt.

McGarrity would give FAU some breathing room in the 86th minute, accepting a cross from Meredith White before dribbling into the box and beating the keeper inside the near post for her eighth of the season.

Devon Romak was given a secondary assist on the play, her first career point in an Owl uniform.

With time winding down, the Owl offense pulled the entire Golden Panther defense to the far side of the field, before a cross found the feet of Chang with nothing but green grass and a goalkeeper in front of her. She would be fouled hard in the box and awarded a penalty shot in the 88th minute. The penalty kick was taken by Chang and converted for the final margin.

Thanks to the win, the Owls assure themselves of playing Western Kentucky in the opening round of the conference tournament. Florida Atlantic can finish no worse than fifth and no better than fourth, pending the outcome of the Middle Tennessee/Western Kentucky match-up. WKU is also assured of either the fourth or fifth seed.

The Owls will now turn their focus to the Sun Belt Conference Championship in its first season as a conference member. FAU won the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship last season, earning them an NCAA Regional berth.

The tournament, hosted by Louisiana-Lafayette, is scheduled to begin on November 1.