Panthers lose on coin clip

Published 9:10 pm Tuesday, October 23, 2018

By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

It came down to a coin flip.

The women’s soccer teams from LaGrange College and Agnes Scott faced off on Monday night in the final game of the regular season for both teams.

On the line was the West division’s final spot in the USA South tournament, which would go to the winner of Monday’s match.

The two teams played to a scoreless tie, though, so the tournament spot was determined by a coin flip, which was won by Agnes Scott.

Agnes Scott will play Covenant, the West’s number three seed, today as the conference tournament gets started.

The Panthers finished with a 4-9-2 record, which was an improvement over the previous two years when they won a combined three matches.

The Panthers had five shot attempts on Monday, including four in the first half, but none of them found the back of the net.

Goal keeper Emma Smith helped preserve the shutout for the Panthers with eight saves, six in the first half.

The game was a homecoming for former LaGrange Academy standout Caitlynn Croft, a senior forward for Agnes Scott.

Croft started all but one game during her four seasons at Agnes Scott, and she has 20 career goals, including five this year, and three of them were game-winners.

Croft had seven goals during her freshman season, and four goals in each of the past two years.

A pair of freshmen with local ties, Troup graduate Adreanna Creed and former Callaway Cavalier Chloe McGuffin, were on the field for LaGrange College on Monday.

McGuffin started all 11 games she played in this season, while Creed played in 13 games with seven starts.

GOLF: LaGrange College’s golf team finished the fall portion of its schedule with a fourth-place finish in the  Chick-Fil-A Invitational at Stonebridge Golf Club in Rome.

After a first-round 305, LaGrange College posted a second-round 295 to climb the leaderboard.

Ben Womack led the Panthers with an 11th-place finish after rounds of 76 and 71.

Close behind was Mathias Anderson, whose rounds of 76 and 72 were good enough for a 13th-place finish.

Nathan Garner carded scores of 78 and 73 to finish 29th, Sam Rogers (75-82) was 57th, and Rob Simpson (79-79) finished 59th.

MEN’S SOCCER: For the first time in 25 years, LaGrange College’s men’s soccer team is going to finish the season with a winning record.

LaGrange College made sure that would be a reality by beating Averett (Va.) 2-1 on Saturday.

LaGrange College finished the weekend with a 4-0 loss to Greensboro (N.C.) on Sunday, and it will carry a 10-7 record into Friday’s regular-season finale at Brevard

LaGrange College has already qualified for the USA South tournament.

Before this season, the Panthers hadn’t posted a winning record since 1993 when they went 10-7 under former coach Jeff Geeter.

LaGrange College matched that 10-win total with Saturday’s USA South win at Averett.

It was scoreless at the half, and the Panthers got goals from Errick Sturm and Adam Curry to build a 2-0 lead in the second half.

In Sunday’s game, Greensboro scored four goals in the first half on the way to the 4-0 win.

VOLLEYBALL: LaGrange College wrapped up its home schedule by splitting a pair of matches with Brevard and Maryville on Sunday.

Before the final match against Maryville, seniors Mimi Loftus and Lauren Sanders were recognized.

LaGrange College beat Brevard 25-18, 27-25 and 25-15 in the first match.

Jazzlyn Kenner led the way with 14 kills,11 digs and four blocks, Sanders had 29 assists and 13 digs, and Loftus had 13 kills.

In Sunday’s final match, Maryville beat LaGrange College 25-20, 25-16 and 25-23.

Kenner paced the Panthers with six kills.

LaGrange College (8-5 overall, 6-5 in the USA South) visits Huntingdon on Wednesday.