The Lady Bucs capped one of the most highly successful regular seasons in program history Saturday in impressive fashion, defeating the VMI Lady Keydets 3-1 at Blackbaud Stadium.

Though the Bucs hopes for a regular season conference title were dashed when Coastal Carolina won earlier Saturday, CSU still had plenty to play for, as a win would give the Bucs the #2 seed in next week's conference tourney and tie a program record of 12 wins in a season.

And the Lady Bucs looked eager to accomplish these goals from the first kick, as the team wasted no time in getting on the board. In fact, the first goal would come on the very first attack of the game just 25 seconds in. Jen Vroman (Piscataway, N.J.) collected the ball in midfield and took off down the near sideline, eluding a wave of VMI defenders that were just getting a feel for the game. CSU's assist leader then supplied CSU's goal leader, Michelle Dennis, with a perfect cross that met Dennis near the far post. Dennis put enough on the ball to beat VMI goalkeeper Angela Redmond, giving Dennis 11 goals and Vroman nine assists on the year.

The goal placed Dennis in a tie for third-place for most goals in a season in CSU program history, while Vroman is only two assists away from the top assists in a season mark heading into postseason play.

CSU controlled the rest of the half following the goal, outshooting the Lady Keydets 15-1. Particularly dangerous for the Bucs was Sarah Catenacci (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), who fired six shots in the half, including a shot headed high moments after Dennis' goal and a shot that forced a save from Redmond in the 14th minute.

Dennis also continue to figure in the attack, firing five shots in the first forty-five minutes, and supplying Caitlin Wesnesky (Piscataway, N.J.) with an excellent through ball that the redshirt freshman fired over the bar. In fact, putting shots on net proved to be a general problem for the Bucs, as only three of their 15 efforts forced saves from Redmond in the first half.

It seemed like the finishing woes might linger long into the second half for the Bucs, as three times the Bucs were denied by the post. Marky Boyce (Woodbridge, Va.) was the first to go agonizingly close in the 49th minute, with Dennis following in the 58th when her shot off another strong Vroman cross hit the under side of the post.

The best effort, however, came from Catenacci in the 65th. The sophomore weaved around her VMI defender on the near side of the field, then fired a rocket to the other side of the field which was only kept out of the goal by the upper far crossbar.

The Bucs were bound to find the net eventually, and in the 66th and 68th minutes they would get their final two goals of the regular season. The first came from Boyce, who began the goal-scoring play by collecting a ball sent into the box by Catenacci. Boyce cooly picked out the perfect spot to finish into the VMI net to grab her ninth goal on the season.

Then, Emma Mattsson (Helsingborg, Sweden) ran her goal-scoring total to an even 10 on the year when she rifled a free kick from 30 yards out over the outstretched hands of new VMI goalie Kathleen Underwood.

VMI got a consolation goal in the late going when Jessica Robbins placed a Chrissy Beach corner into the upper net, but it did little to diminish what the Bucs accomplished on this night, or in this record-setting season.

With the regular season behind them, the Bucs are now set to begin a journey into postseason play that they hope will be a long one. The first test comes Thursday night, back at Blackbaud, when the #2 seed Bucs will face the #7 seed UNC Asheville Bulldogs, the defending Big South Conference Tournament champions, in the first round of the 2007 tournament at 7 P.M.