Nov. 1, 2002

Final Stats

St. Louis - Charlotte's Courtney Crandell and Jennie Leeder each scored a goal and assisted on another as the ninth-ranked 49ers completed an unbeaten regular season by knocking off Saint Louis 3-2 in a Conference USA women's soccer match tonight at Robert R. Hermann Stadium. The 49ers proved to be excellent finishers by scoring on three of their six shots.

After SLU leading scorer Jamie Perry tested Charlotte keeper Jenn Howell from long distance in the early moments, the 49ers jumped on top at 4:57 on Megan Terlip's six-yard volley. Niners defender Tiffany Ross played a dead ball wide to the right where Crandell's cross found Terlip at the far post. Billiken keeper Meghann Burke had no chance on Terlip's one-timer.

The Billikens had three quality chances to tie, but Howell was equal to the challenge. In the 12th minute, Howell parried SLU senior forward Jenny Kehl's 28-yard blast over the cross bar. Off a corner kick in the 19th minute, Bills senior midfielder Mandy Trokey had a loose ball pop to her eight yards from the left post, but Howell kicked Trokey's low shot away. Perry drilled a 30-yarder off a restart less than a minute later, but Howell handled it easily. Howell finished the half with five shots as the Bills out-shot the Niners 6-2.

On its second shot of the match, Charlotte grabbed a two-goal advantage at 23:14. On a counter attack, Leeder put Crandell in one-on-one against Burke. Crandell patiently popped a 10-yarder over Burke.

Saint Louis pressed the attack in the early stages of the second half and had another pair of quality chances in the 59th minute. After collecting a ball that ricocheted away from the Charlotte defense, Kehl broke in on Howell, but the Niners' keeper stoned the Billiken forward from eight yards. At the end of the flurry, Perry set a drive ticketed for the upper left corner, but Howell deflected it over the cross bar. Perry drilled another 20-yard drive in the 61st minute that sailed just over the bar.

Charlotte scored its third goal on only its fourth shot of the match in the 63rd minute. Ross struck a corner from the left flag that senior defender Mikel Casey headed back to the near post. Leeder knocked it between two Billiken defenders on the SLU line from three yards.

The Billikens' Perry continued to consistently be the most dangerous player on the field as her six-yard shot squirted through Howell, but Niners midfielder Leslie Canales cleared it off Charlotte's line in the 73rd minute. Perry finally put the Bills on the board at 76:35 as she slipped a 12-yard roller past Howell to the far post from the right side. Kehl picked up an assist on the play.

SLU's Erin Schwetye narrowed the margin to a single tally at 82:41. After Schwetye tangled with a Niners' defender who failed to control the ball at the top of the Charlotte penalty area, the Billiken senior midfielder broke in on Howell and beat her from 10 yards.

The Billikens out-shot Charlotte (15-0-2, 8-0-2) 18-6 and had an 8-7 edge in corners. Howell finished with eight saves, and her defense cleared two other shots off Charlotte's line. Burke made two stops for the Bills.

Saint Louis finished its regular season at 13-5-1 overall and 6-3-1 in C-USA. The Billikens will next play on Wednesday, Nov. in opening round of the C-USA Tournament at Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE 3, SAINT LOUIS 2 
 CHA     4:57  Megan Terlip 6-yd volley from Courtney Crandell, Tiffany Ross
 CHA   23:14  Crandell 10 yds from Jennie Leeder
 CHA   62:49  Leeder 4 yds from Mikel Casey, Ross
 SLU   76:35  Jamie Perry 8 yds from Jenny Kehl's
 SLU   82:41  Erin Schwetye 10 yds

 Shots:  SLU - 18, CHA - 6
 Corners: SLU - 3, CHA - 7
 Saves: SLU - 2,  (Burke), CHA - 10 (Howell-8, Team-2)
 Fouls: SLU - 9, CHA - 9
 Att:  1,197