UNA closes its
season at
19-4-1, with
three of the
four losses
coming to the
undefeated and
No. 1 ranked
Lady Argonauts
(20-0).
North Alabama
advanced to the
second round
with a 3-2 win
over perennial
national power
Florida Southern
on Friday.
UNA, which had
given up early
goals in each of
its two previous
battles with
West Florida,
held the game
scoreless until
until the 12th
minute when
Anastasia
Prescott scored
off an assist
from Monica
Malavassi.
Despite being
outshot 14-1 in
the first half,
the Lions’
defensive effort
was fierce and
UNA sent the
game to
intermission at
1-0. UNA
goalkeeper Alex
McLay recorded
eight saves in
the half.
West Florida
continued to
apply pressure
in the second
half and made it
2-0 at 49:01 on
a goal by
Shaneka Gordon.
After UNA gave
the Argonauts an
own-goal in the
55th
minute to make
it 3-0, UWF got
two more goals
for Dernelle
Mascall to make
it 5-0.
Jessica Majewski
made it 6-0 in
the 83rd
minute, but UNA
avoided the
shutout when
Tassia Augusto
scored at the
88:38 mark. It
was Augusto’s 29th
goal of the
season and the
64th
of her career at
UNA. The senior
from Sao Paulo,
Brazil finishes
her career as
UNA’s all-time
leading scorer
in goals and
points (148).
West Florida
finished the
game with 22
shots, while the
Lions managed
only five.
The 19 wins in a
season is eight
more than in any
previous season
since UNA began
its women’s
soccer program
in 1997. The
Lions also
advanced to the
Gulf South
Conference
Tournament for
just the third
time in school
history and the
first time since
1999. A win over
Alabama-Huntsville
was the first
post-season
victory in UNA
history and sent
the Lions into
the GSC
Championship
Game for the
first time.
Those successes
helped UNA
secure its first
NCAA Tournament
bid in soccer.
