GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNC Greensboro sophomore keeper Kelsey Kearney's Triangle Futbol Club won its second straight USL Super-20 League North American title on Aug. 2, tying the Chicago Red 11, 2-2, in Rockford, Ill., to earn the repeat.
Triangle FC and the Red 11 both came into the match with unbeaten records in the tournament, with Kearney's squad sitting at 3-0 and Chicago at 2-0-1, meaning a win or a tie would give Triangle FC the championship.
Kearney and Triangle FC held up their end of the bargain, jumping out to a 2-0 lead and holding on for the draw to successfully defend their 2008 title.
Kearney, a first-team All-Southern Conference performer as a freshman for the Spartans last season, earned shutouts in her first two games, stonewalling the Brooklyn Knights 3-0 on July 30 and following that up with a 4-0 win over Black Watch SC on July 31.
Triangle FC then topped the Washington Freedom on Aug. 1, 5-1, to set up the showdown with the Red 11.
Kearney was an integral part of UNCG's successful 2008 campaign, as she posted a school-record 0.48 goals against average and notched 11 shutouts as the Spartans won their third straight SoCon regular-season crown. She went 13-2-3 as a starter, with her only two losses coming to No. 3 Stanford and No. 14 Wake Forest. In addition to taking all-conference honors, the Durham, N.C., native also earned SoCon All-Freshman Team and SoCon All-Tournament distinction.
The Spartans face East Carolina in an exhibition match in Greenville, N.C., on Aug. 14 before opening the 2009 regular season with a home match against Wake Forest on Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
- UNCG -