With the win, the Saints (14-4-1) advance to Sunday's championship match to face Columbus State, 3-0 winners over UNC Pembroke on Friday in the other semifinal. Armstrong (13-3-2) falls short in its bid to repeat as PBC Tournament champions and will now learn its NCAA postseason fate on Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. when the 2010 NCAA DII Soccer Championship selections are announced.
The Pirates took an early 1-0 lead in the 18th minute as Erin Holt beat North Georgia keeper Kirsten Ross with a header inside the near post off of a solid cross from Kristina Pascutti. The Saints would answer mere minutes later as a touch pass from Samantha Abrahart found Kelsey Martin inside the top of the box, and Martin finished to tie the match at 1-1.
The match turned with just eight seconds left in the first half as a high bounding ball in the box was headed by the Pirates' Kelli Bahr backwards. Armstrong keeper Tracey Mitchell was off her line to play the ball and the change in direction meant the ball bounced into the Pirates' own net for a 2-1 North Georgia lead.
Each team had eight shots in the first half as well as two corner kicks apiece.
In the second half, the Pirates held the attacking edge for much of the early stages, but North Georgia would clinch the match in the 64th minute as Casey Smith ran to perfection a short free kick and Natalie Douglass beat Mitchell in the top right corner for the goal.
Armstrong's best chance to climb back into the match came in the 70th minute as Emily Cattanach's shot hit the crossbar, then a followup shot from Cattanach missed a pair of sliding Pirates and slipped wide of the goal to the right.
The Pirates finished the match with a 16-12 edge in shots. Mitchell made two saves in net for Armstrong, whiel Kirsten Ross made seven saves in net for the Saints.
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