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 Heather Dittmer scored Western's only goal in a 1-0 victory for the 2005 SoCon Championship. Alesha Row added Tourney MVP honors. |
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Nov. 6, 2005
Greenville, S.C. - Early in the second half, Western's Heather Dittmer took a Natalie Turgeon pass and headed the ball past Furman's keeper to lift the Catamounts to a 1-0 victory over the Paladins en route to winnning the 2005 Southern Conference Championship Sunday afternoon at Furman's Stone Stadium. With the win, the Catamounts earn the conference's automatic bid and first ever trip to the NCAA College Cup Championships.
Western, who is just in its seventh year of existance, claim its second SoCon championship. In 2001, the Catamounts were the top seed in the SoCon tournament and regular-season champions, only to fall 2-1 in double overtime in that year's SoCon tournament final.
Dittmer and Catamount keeper Alesha Row, who had seven saves in the championship game, headlined Western's selections to the All-Tournament Team. Dittmer was the tournament leader in points, while tournament MVP Row tallied 15 saves in the three games. Also making the All-Tournament team were Casey Davis, Arlan Whittle an Meghan Reilly.
 Sophomore Heather Dittmer tallied the lone goal on Sunday and finished the tournament as the only player to record multiple goals. |
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Western Carolina garnered the game-winning goal at the 47:43 mark when Turgeon found Dittmer just inside the six-yard box. Dittmer took advantage of the Turgeon cross, placing the ball in the back of the net with a header between the pipes after Furman's first-team All-SoCon goalkeeper Andie Hinshaw was caught out of position.
It was Dittmer's seventh goal of the 2005 season.
In the 1-0 win, Western's Row tallied her 13th shutout of the 2005 season, extending her own school record. Row's exploits earned her tournament MVP honors.
After the game Row was understandably shaken and awestruck by the outcome, articulating how much the win meant to the media while her teammates took the Western Carolina flag hanging atop the hilltop at Stone Stadium and paraded around the stadium.
"I am speechless," noted Row. "Going to (the NCAA Tournament) is such a thrill. I cannot say enough about what we did."
Western Carolina controlled the game, using a strong defensive effort to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Furman did have their chances in the contest.
The first real chance for the Paladins came in the 29th-minute when Emily Krankowski won the ball at midfield and promptly made her way into the Western Carolina box unmarked.
Row was up to the challenge, exerting herself towards Kranskowski and making a brilliant sprawling sliding save and thwarting Furman's best chance in the entire contest.
Furman continuously tried to find the equalizer in the game, particularly in the final 15 minutes, but could not find their way.
Western Carolina becomes the fourth team to be SoCon champion, joining Davidson, Furman and UNC Greensboro, and the first four seed to win the tournament.
Prior to Western's Cinderella win on Sunday no team seeded below the third slot had ever won the SoCon Women's Soccer Championship.
Catamounts' head coach Tammy DeCesare becomes the second SoCon coach to win the championship in their first year at the helm of their program. Eddie Radwanski accomplished the feat first in 2001, ironically defeating Wetern in double overttime one year after the Spartans won the championship with Jack Poland in charge.
Western Carolina will learn their foe in the NCAA Tournament at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7. The NCAA College Cup selection show will be telecast on ESPN News.
2005 Southern Conference All-Tournament Team Tournament MVP Alesha Row Western Carolina
Arlan Whittle Western Carolina Meghan Reilly Western Carolina Casey Davis Western Carolina Heather Dittmer Western Carolina
Kara Koehrn Davidson Chloe King Davidson Erin Sanders Furman Andie Hinshaw Furman Nicky Darling Furman Tyson Davis UNC Greensboro Dacia Beachum UNC Greensboro
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