TicketsTAMPA, Florida – The third-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats defeated No. 2 Memphis, 1-0, in the first semifinal of the 2020 American Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship, Thursday, April 15 at Corbett Soccer Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
The Bearcats (5-4-1) advance to the championship final on Saturday, April 17 at 2 p.m. ET against the winner of No. 4 East Carolina and No. 1 USF, who play at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Tigers fell to 8-3-0 on the season.
Cincinnati struck in the 17th minute on Chloe Spitler's first-career goal off an assist from Maddy Pittman. Pittman dribbled towards the end line and chipped the ball back to Spitler who headed to the far side of goal for the 1-0 lead.
The Tigers continued to pour on the pressure in the second half, with Haylee Spray hitting the crossbar at the 70th-minute mark and Clarissa Larisey heading just over the bar in the 86th minute.
For the match, Memphis led in shots, 16-9, and had eight corner kicks to one for the Bearcats. Anna Rexford earned the win for Cincinnati with five saves in goal, while Elizabeth Moberg made three saves for the Tigers.
In the two teams' matchup during the regular season, Memphis won, 2-0, on March 18. Cincinnati has won both matchups in the post season with a previous win at the 1996 Conference USA Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Cincinnati will look for its second American Athletic Conference tournament crown, with its only championship coming in 2015.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati soccer, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team (@GoBearcatsWSOC) and Head Coach Neil Stafford (@UCGaffer) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.
The Bearcats (5-4-1) advance to the championship final on Saturday, April 17 at 2 p.m. ET against the winner of No. 4 East Carolina and No. 1 USF, who play at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Tigers fell to 8-3-0 on the season.
Cincinnati struck in the 17th minute on Chloe Spitler's first-career goal off an assist from Maddy Pittman. Pittman dribbled towards the end line and chipped the ball back to Spitler who headed to the far side of goal for the 1-0 lead.
Memphis had four corners in the first half, but only managed two shots due to the Bearcats defense, led by American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year Ashley Barron..@GoBearcatsWSOC strikes first on Chloe Spitler's first-career goal. pic.twitter.com/2CJvxy5WF1
— American WSoccer (@American_WSoc) April 15, 2021
The Tigers continued to pour on the pressure in the second half, with Haylee Spray hitting the crossbar at the 70th-minute mark and Clarissa Larisey heading just over the bar in the 86th minute.
For the match, Memphis led in shots, 16-9, and had eight corner kicks to one for the Bearcats. Anna Rexford earned the win for Cincinnati with five saves in goal, while Elizabeth Moberg made three saves for the Tigers.
In the two teams' matchup during the regular season, Memphis won, 2-0, on March 18. Cincinnati has won both matchups in the post season with a previous win at the 1996 Conference USA Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Cincinnati will look for its second American Athletic Conference tournament crown, with its only championship coming in 2015.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati soccer, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team (@GoBearcatsWSOC) and Head Coach Neil Stafford (@UCGaffer) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.