Seven minute drive puts ASU over the top, ends with two yard TD

Eighteen was the Mountaineers' lucky number Saturday

Andrea Barrows -Sports Minor

It was the final seven minutes of Saturday's game against fourth-ranked Furman University that turned the momentum of the game in Appalachian State University's direction.

The Mountaineers struggled in the first half, giving up two big plays to the Paladins' Justin Hill, but the defense tightened up in the second half and contained Hill flawlessly.

"We were doing pretty good the whole game so we just wanted to keep it up and just don't give up the big plays," said defensive player Jimmy Freeman.

After trailing Furman the entire game, a defensive stop by Du'Shon Martin started a sequence of plays that led to Appalachian's first lead of the game with less than three minutes remaining.

Martin's interception in the end zone prevented Furman from scoring another touchdown, which would have sealed the victory for the Paladins. The interception was followed by a series of 10 plays which totaled 80 yards and produced a touchdown by Jerry Beard. An extra point by Mark Wright gave Appalachian the lead, 18-17.

Quarterback Joe Burchette handled the pressure of his first start against the higher-ranked Furman team like a pro, once again taking the team to victory. Although Burchette is only a sophomore and lacks the experience of a veteran player, his large stature and strength gave him an advantage on the field.

Karim Razzak started Appalachian's game-winning drive by rushing 32 yards to the Appalachian 49 to get the first down. The second play was also Razzak who rushed another 14 yards to the Furman 37 to give Appalachian another first down. Beard was the next Mountaineer to step up and run the ball to the Furman 32.

After an incomplete pass, the Mountaineers faced third down and five at the Furman 32 yard line. Maintaining his cool composure in pressure situations, Burchette completed a pass to Daniel Wilcox for 8 yards to the Furman 24. The reception put the pressure on the Paladins and gave Appalachian another first down.

As the Mountaineers closed in, Furman's defense tightened up and shut down Appalachian's running game for two plays, forcing another critical third down.

With the Furman pass rush right in his face, Burchette found Joey Gibson at the Furman 2 yard line, giving the Mountaineers a key first and goal.

Burchette's two key completions, one to Wilcox and the other to Gibson, were huge for the Mountaineers' last-minute success.

Burchettte said, "I just rolled out and they did a great job of getting free. "I just dropped back and I looked down the field. Whoever's open, I'll get you the ball. I don't have favorites and I just try to do the best I can."

It was Beard and his 2-yard rush, culminating in a touchdown, that brought Appalachian fans to their feet with 2:42 remaining in the game. Mark Wright's extra point was the icing on the cake for the Mountaineers, who have struggled with field goals in the past, giving Appalachian the one-point advantage over Furman.

Western Carolina holds off ASU rally

Andrea Barrows - Sports Minor

The Appalachian State University women's soccer team put up a great fight Friday night against Western Carolina University but fell short in the end, losing the game 3-2.

Coach Ben Popoola said, "It was a hard-fought game. We gave away some easy goals in the beginning, making it hard to get back into the match."

The Mountaineers were led by Keisha Prescott, who scored both goals for the team, but her efforts were not enough to hold off the Catamounts.

Western Carolina dominated control of the ball throughout the match and Appalachian appeared to be frozen on the field at times. Coach Popoola received a yellow card in the first half after his frustration got the best of him, which seemed to set the tone of what turned out to be a very frustrating match for Appalachian.

The women's record is now 4-7-1, 0-3 in Southern Conference (SoCon) matches. The team's next home game is Oct. 17 against South Carolina State University at Kidd-Brewer Stadium at 2 p.m.

Broder comes through at the last minute

Andrea Barrows -Sports Minor

The Appalachian State University men's soccer team held another exciting match last Wednesday night at Kidd-Brewer Stadium against Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Va. Tech). The Mountaineers played a solid game and pulled out another victory, 4-3.

The Mountaineers were led by defensiveman Chris Weddle, who scored Appalachian's first goal of the game at 15:44 off an assist by David Boyd. The Virginia Tech Hokies answered with a header into the goal by Garrett Owens at 26:02 in the first half, tying the game 1-1 at halftime.

Weddle came out strong again in the second half, taking the initiative by scoring an unassisted goal for the Mountaineers at 53:13. Hokie, Okey Ogbuawa came back and tied the score at 2-2 off an unassisted goal at 67:40. Freshman Mark Thornton scored his first collegiate goal at 72:52 off an assist by Weddle to put the Mountaineers up 3-2, but Va. Tech did not stay down for long. Fred Silva scored on a penalty kick to once again tie the game.

In the final minute of play, the game came down to the talent of Jordy Broder, who was able to fire the ball past Va. TechÕs goalkeeper to score the winning goal for Appalachian, making the final score 4-3.

The record for the men's team is now 7-4. The Mountaineers' next home game is tomorrow at Kidd-Brewer Stadium. It starts at 7:30 p.m. and is against Davidson College.