STATESBORO, Ga. – A penalty kick from sophomore Rio Hardy (Workington, England) late in the second half was just enough as the University of South Alabama soccer team got past Georgia Southern 1-0 Sunday afternoon at Eagle Field.

The win, combined with Troy's loss to Georgia State, guarantees the Jaguars at least a share of the Sun Belt Conference title. A win or draw in either of USA's last two games would clinch the outright crown.

"I'm really proud of the team; it's been a very eventful season, in the fact that we've manage to beat very good teams, and challenge some of the teams in the top 10, so to win the title with two games to go shows how hard the team has been working," USA head coach Graham Winkworth said. "As much as we want to enjoy that moment, we still have two very important games left in the regular season, plus the conference tournament.

"I'm not someone that sits back and enjoys this moment right now; at the end of the season, we'll evaluate how the year's gone and hopefully we'll be pleased with the work that we've done, but I'm really proud for the girls right now."

The Jaguars' win streak increases to eight and the team has won its last 16 against Sun Belt Conference opponents; the team currently holds a 13-2-1 overall record and a 7-0 mark in league play. The Eagles drop to 6-8-2 and 3-3-1.

"It's a bit of a cliché, but it was a tale of two halves," Winkworth said. "In the first half, we were very much in control of the game. We were not clinical and didn't put all of the shots that we were creating on frame. We could've been two or three up at halftime, but we failed to hit the target enough.

"In the second half we came out and felt good about it. We were reduced to 10 players and that changed the game completely. The girls fought for the remainder of the game and Rio won the game for us. I'm really proud of how the girls dug in despite the circumstances."

The two squads battled to a scoreless draw through the first 78 minutes until Hardy was brought down in the box by the GS goalkeeper. Hardy converted from the spot for the first time this season at 78:45 to give the Jags the only goal they would need.

"We emphasize to the girls that it's a 90-minute game and it's important that we play for 90 minutes," Winkworth noted. "On Friday night, it wasn't the second half that was the problem; we didn't play particularly well in the first half. We just have to make sure we're as focused at the beginning of games as we seem to be at the end of them right now. It's a credit to the team that we continue to battle out results late in matches."

South Alabama, who went the final 42 minutes with 10 players, controlled the first half with a 12-3 advantage in shots, but Georgia Southern attempted 11 in the second half compared to USA's six, including six of the last seven of the contest.

"That decision to reduce us to 10 players completely changed the context of the game, and made it far less attractive to watch," Winkworth said. "We have to play slightly differently when we're down a player. Credit to the girls – they fought and battled, and it wasn't about playing attractive soccer anymore, it was about grinding out a result, and to do that when you're down a player is phenomenal. I'm really proud of them."

After Hardy's penalty, GS managed to get off three shots in the final eight minutes, but did not find the target.

South Alabama goalkeeper Sarah Hay (Waxahachie, Texas) recorded five saves for her second straight clean sheet and fifth of the season. Her counterpart, Emily Egan, also made five stops.

"Our backline has been phenomenal all weekend," Winkworth said. "I can't single any one of them out. They've been absolutely fantastic all weekend and I can't praise them enough. We have defended extremely well from front to back all weekend, but special credit does need to be given to our back four and our goalkeeper. They deserve two shutouts because they've been phenomenal all weekend.

"If you're not conceding goals, then you're not losing any games."

The Jaguars return home for the final weekend of the season, starting Friday night at 7 p.m. against Little Rock.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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