Summer Lanter scored the game-winner with just over five minutes remaining in regulation to give the Lady Flames a 1-0 victory over West Georgia in the GSC Tournament Quarterfinal.
The No.7 Lee University women’s soccer team advanced to the semifinal round of the Gulf South Conference Tournament with a 1-0 victory over West Georgia Tuesday night at the Lee Soccer Field. The semifinal and final rounds will be held at the Emory Folmar YMCA in Montgomery, Ala.
Lee (14-4), seeded No. 1, will look to avenge one of its four losses of the season against fifth-seeded Valdosta State University Friday at 8:30 p.m. EDT. VSU handed the Lady Flames a 1-0 setback in Cleveland on Oct.
6. In the other semifinal, No. 2 seed Mississippi College and No. 3 seed West Florida will battle.
The Lady Flames fired off 23 shots, but West Georgia (8-9) recorded 12 saves, including 11 by goalkeeper Jackie Donaldson. The Wolves were able to get off six shots with Haley Gribler stopping both shots placed on goal to record the shutout.
“We created a lot of great chances again,” said Lee head coach Chris Hennessey. “It’s kind of been the same pattern all season, so I was hopeful with five minutes to go we would find one more shot and put it away and we did.”
Summer Lanter finally broke through with 5:07 remaining in regulation. The senior blasted a shot into the upper 90 of the goal from about 10 yards out to tally her 13th goal and seventh game-winner of the season. The tally ties her with Ashley Aragona for seventh on the Lee career goals list with 49.
“I was so relieved, because I had missed a bunch of previous shots,” said Lanter. “To finally have one go in just took a little bit of pressure off. We still had five minutes, but I knew our defense could hold them.”
It was the team’s ninth shutout of the season and seventh victory by a 1-0 margin. The Lady Flames also extended their longest win streak of the season to seven. Lee has advanced to the semifinal round of the GSC Tournament all three seasons they have been eligible for postseason play.