FOLEY, Ala. – The University of South Alabama soccer team shut out No. 4 seed Appalachian State 6-0 on Friday night in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Women's Soccer Tournament at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex.
 
The top-seeded Jags improve to 14-5-1 on the year and move onto the finals for a chance to win the program's fourth-straight Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship under fourth-year head coach Graham Winkworth.  South Alabama will face second-seeded Coastal Carolina (12-5-3) on Sunday at 1 p.m.  The Jags defeated the Chanticleers at home 4-1 on Senior Day on Oct. 16.
 
The six-goal difference against the Mountaineers was the biggest margin of victory in a shutout in a postseason game in program history and tied the largest margin of victory overall in a postseason game set last year against Louisiana-Lafayette (7-1) in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
 
The Jags came out aggressive and jumped all over the Mountaineers right out of the gate.  It finally paid off in the 20th minute for the first of four goals in the first half.  Chelsea Followwell sent a long pass out to a streaking Jemma Purfield ahead of the Mountaineers' defense.  All alone with the goalkeeper Purfield kicked the ball over her in the box into the top corner of the net for her ninth goal of the season.  Almost five minutes later Charde Hannah took a pass out wide, raced past defenders and made a diving kick that a sliding defender at the goal line kicked into the post and in the net for an own goal.
 
"We tweaked a few things to enable our players to get on the ball a bit further up the field," said Winkworth.  "Fortunately that happened, and we were able to create more opportunities by using the forward up the pitch."
 
The third goal of the half came in the 27th minute by Ashlynn Jones.  Alexis Jordan sent her a lead pass from midfield,  and Jones chipped the ball past a diving goalie and defender to the left of the box and guided it into an open net for her sixth goal of the year.  The last goal of the half came with just 19 seconds left.  Rio Hardy passed the ball to Hannah, who was able to race past the last line of defenders and get a shot to bounce off the jumping goalkeeper's hands into the back of net for her fourth goal of the season.
 
"Charde has been working extremely hard on the training field, and I was very pleased with her work rate and attitude because she had been struggling to find the back of the net," said Winkworth.  "That worked great because her professionalism in training was put into the game.  It's no coincidence when you train as hard as she has in the last few days that you get success on game day. So I'm really proud of her for that."
 
The second half featured two more Jaguar goals.  With just under six minutes into the half Jana Loeber directed a corner kick into the box, and Hannah Godfrey headed the ball into the left side of the net for her second goal of the season.  Hardy notched the last goal of the game in the 76th minute.  She received a pass from midfield by Monique Autmon on the right of the offensive side of the field and made a sliding kick inside the box for her eighth goal of the year.
 
Justice Stanford (12-3-0) made seven saves to combine with Sarah Hay for the team's 11th shutout of the 2016 campaign.  Stanford made a leaping save in the 38th minute off a shot near midfield to thwart App State's best scoring chance in the game.  She made another save in the first half and five more in the second half before Hay replaced her with 10 minutes left in the game.
 
The Jaguars outshot the Mountaineers 19-13, including 10-5 in the first half.  South Alabama converted on its only corner kick of the game.
 
The 6-0 win allowed South Alabama to avenge a 4-3 loss in double overtime at Appalachian State on Oct. 23 in the regular-season finale that Winkworth was unable to coach due to an illness in the family.  He noted a defensive change that enabled the Jags to overwhelm the Mountaineers and prevent them from scoring any goals.
 
"The last time their two forwards tore us to shreds," said Winkworth. "We made some defensive changes to enable us to cover better with their two forwards without jeopardizing how we go forward. Fortunately it paid off.  It could have been a more open game and a 4-3 game again if things didn't go to plan.  We were prepared to take that risk.  I felt that it worked tonight, and I was very happy with the result."
 
With a chance to continue its championship winning ways under Winkworth, the head coach notes that it would certainly be a nice accomplishment for his program.  However he, his staff and the team are only focused facing a tough Coastal Carolina squad on Sunday.
 
"Obviously it would be very big for us to four Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championships in a row," said Winkworth. "We've won three-straight regular season conference championships and three-straight tournaments, so it would be seven in a row if we're fortunate to get another one on Sunday.  But I don't really want to focus on that aspect.  It's good that we're going to be in the championship game, but my mind isn't focused on how many championships we've won.  My mind is focused on one more game, and that is Coastal Carolina.  We've got to make sure that as a team we show a level of professionalism in our preparation for what is a very difficult matchup on Sunday."
 
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).