The CSU Lady Bucs turned in their most impressive performance of the season thus far Friday, defeating USC-Upstate 4-1 in the first of their two games at the Mountaineer Invitational at Appalachian State University.

A very rainy day and a trip from the Lowcountry to the Highcountry served as obstacles for the team, but once the game got going it seemed that little would stand in CSU's way on this day. CSU's attack sprang to life quickly, with the team firing 13 shots on net in the first 26 minutes of the game.

Emma Mattsson (Helsingborg, Sweden) and Sarah Catenacci (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) both forced Spartan goalkeeper Samantha Spradley into early saves, while Michelle Dennis (Ann Arbor, Mich.) proved a major mismatch for Upstate, firing six shots in the aforementioned timespan, including a shot off the post and two shots turned aside by Spradley.

In spite of this early dominance, the Bucs found themselves behind in the 28th minute, when USC-Upstate's Nicole Trawick stuffed home a shot from close range.

The goal could have served as a major shot to the team's confidence, if not for the performance of Marky Boyce (Woodbridge, Va.). Boyce saw to turning the tides, first forcing a save from Spradley in the 31st, then notching her first goal in blue and gold when she found the net from the top of 18 in the 38th, off an assist from Caitlin Gunyan (Rockville Center, N.Y.), to even the score at the half.

The second half brought some nervous moments early on, when Jena Uvalle (Mt. Dora, Fla.) was forced into recording her first save of the season when she denied Leigh Ward in the 47th. The ball quickly returned down toward the Spartan side of the field however, and after several near misses the Bucs were in the lead thanks to two of their most potent offensive players, Mattsson and Dennis.

Mattsson, accustomed to scoring the goals herself in the past, once more showed her ability to supply them as well when she crossed the ball perfectly to Dennis. Dennis, no stranger to finding the back of the net herself, headed the ball low to the near post past Spradley to give CSU a lead it would never relinquish.

The lead didn't serve to take the Bucs' foot off the pedal, however, as Gunyan and Catenacci forced further saves from Spradley as part of Charleston's 37 to 7 shots advantage and 18 to 3 edge in shots on goal. The Spartan keeper could only deny Catenacci for so long, as the Mt. Pleasant midfielder unleashed an 80th minute strike from 10 yards out off a pass from Boyce, allowing CSU's 2006 leader in points and co-leader in goals to open her 2007 account.

Dennis capped the afternoon with her second goal of the day in the dying seconds of the 90th minute. Dennis' second headed goal, this time off a cross from fellow freshman Kelsey Riggs (James Island, S.C.), gave her her second multi-goal game of the season.

This total places her in a tie for the conference lead in goals with four, in spite of having played several fewer games than her primary competition.

The Lady Bucs hope the trip north continues to be a smashing success when they play host Appalachian State Sunday at 2:00 P.M.