Southland Soccer Report - Sept. 5
South Alabama 1 at Lamar 3
BEAUMONT, Texas ? A year ago in a loss to South Alabama, Aline Pugliesi netted the lone Lamar goal but it didn’t factor into a win for the Cardinals. Friday night she put Lamar on top with a score in the 12th minute to lead LU to the first win in school history ? a 2-1 decision over USA at Cardinal Stadium.
Pugliesi found herself with a tough angle in the box and her decision to loft the ball high and deep over Kelsie Langford’s head and into the top corner of the goal for a 1-0 LU lead.
The Cardinals came out in the second half and put the pressure on right away. LU got a corner kick two minutes in and after a brief clear by the USA defense, the ball got sent back in the box where Rachelle Barry took a touch pass in traffic from Carrie Mrazek and put LU up 2-0 at the 47:32 mark.
With Lamar then playing with the two goal lead, USA went on the offensive and with 9:44 remaining in the game Brandi Smith notched her team-leading fourth goal of the season when she got behind the Lamar back line and punched a ball over Jennifer Gibbs’ head.
The Cardinals then held on in the final few moments as Gibbs turned away two of the five USA shots in the final five minutes. Gibbs, true freshman making her first career start, recorded seven saves.
“The way (Jennifer) was working in training this week, I just couldn’t keep her out (of goal),” head coach Dewi Hardman said. “She understands the game very well and used her athleticism to her advantage all game long.
“I am very proud of the girls because of what we demanded in practice. What was most encouraging was that we did a very good job of talking about the commitment to win individual battles and winning 50-50 balls and tonight we did a good job of that.”
Pugliesi and Brittany Holmes each had two shots and one on goal to lead Lamar. In addition to Gibbs ? Barry, Ericka Predmore, Brittany Ross and Beth Squires played 90 minutes apiece for LU, who worked with just 15 healthy bodies.
USA held a 16-7 edge in shots with an 8-4 margin in shots on goal. USA’s Kelsie Langford made two saves in 90 minutes.
Lamar will return to action on Sunday at 2 p.m. when it plays host to Louisiana-Lafayette at the Cris Quinn Soccer Complex. The game will be played on the Spindletop Select Field 1. The facility is located at 9000 Dishman Road, at the intersection of Major Drive and Delaware Street in west Beaumont.
AUSTIN ? The UTSA soccer team dropped a 3-0 decision at No. 8 Texas in non-conference action at Mike A. Myers Stadium Friday night.
The Longhorns (4-0) struck first when Alisha Ortiz netted her first goal of the season within the first nine minutes of first half. Meanwhile, for the Roadrunners (2-3) junior midfielder Kim Selman had an opportunity to tie match but Texas goalkeeper Diana Pfenniger made the save at the 17-minute mark. Courtney Goodson gave UT a 2-0 edge with her second winner of the season at the 18-minute mark. With less than six minutes left, UT pushed its lead to 3-0 on Stephanie Logteman’s goal.
In second half action, junior Veronica Najera had a chance to put UTSA on the board, but Emily Anderson made leg save to keep the ball out of the net at the 67-minute. Najera again had other opportunity but her attempt was wide right with 16 minutes to go in the match.
Colorado State-Pueblo 0 at Sam Houston State 1
HUNTSVILLE, Texas ? Freshman Natalie Pantel scored her first college goal to give Sam Houston State a 1-0 victory over Colorado State-Pueblo Friday night at Pritchett Field.
The victory evens the Bearkats’ season record at 2-2. The loss was the first of the season for the Thunderwolves who stand 1-1-1 for the year.
Nicole Watson started the scoring play with a steal in midfield, putting the ball forward to Luana Miessa. The sophomore split two defenders to find Pantel open on the left side of the six-yard box and the freshman kicked the ball in for the game winner.
Sam Houston out-shot the Thunderwolves 15 to 9 with most of the visitor’s offensive attack coming in the last 20 minutes. Goalkeeper Jenny Pence made three saves as the Kats picked up their second shutout of the season.
“The whole back line played their best game of the year,” SHSU head coach Tom Brown said. “They are getting better as a unit, learning to stay connected and communicating.”
Seven Thunderwolves took shots with Sarah Deziel, Candice Duffy and Kiley Draper each had a shot saved.
Miessa led the Bearkat offense with six shots. Four were saved.
“This is the best first half we’ve had,” Brown said. “We have to learn how to play with a lead in those last few minutes. We caused ourselves more problems than we needed to. But, we’re doing things better. We’re seeing progress.”
Combined with Sunday’s 5-0 victory over Prairie View A&M, Sam Houston has won two games in a row. If the Bearkats can win over South Alabama in Sunday’s 1 p.m. home match at Pritchett Field, they will produce the first three-match winning streak in the six-year old women’s soccer program’s history.
UTSA 0 at No. 8 Texas 3
AUSTIN, Texas - UTSA’s held Texas scoreless in the second frame and only allowed three shots, after giving up 13 attempts in the first half.
Freshman goalkeeper Nicoline Joergensen, who was making her collegiate debut, allowed three goals, while making two saves on the night. Najera recorded a team-best three shots and Selman totaled two on the night.
Diana Pfenninger collected her third shutout of the season and also tallied three saves. Niki Arlitt led the Longhorns with four shots. Meanwhile, Goodson, Logteman and Ortiz each had one goal apiece on the night.
UTSA continues its five-match road trip this Sunday, Sept. 7 at North Texas. Kick off is slated for 1 p.m.
McNeese State 0 at Tulsa 3
TULSA, Ok. -- McNeese State's soccer team suffered a 3-0 loss to Tulsa here Friday night at the Tulsa Tournament. The Cowgirls gave up an unassisted goal by Hanna Taylor in the 11th minute of the game. That score would stand through the half before Tulsa added two more goals in the second half.
Emily McElrath and Jennifer Kacergis scored one goal apiece in the second half for a 3-0 Tulsa lead. McElrath scored her goal in the 62nd minute off a corner kick while Kacergis' goal came from a shot 16 yards out from the left side.
McNeese attempted seven shots in the game and was led by Kamryn Koch who attempted four. Kyra McDonough, Audrey LaLanne and Devon Glynn attempting one apiece.
Senior goalie Shelby Money returned to the lineup after missing the first two games of the season due to an injury. Money was credited with four saves.
"I am very thankful that we had the opportunity to play this weekend after Hurricane Gustav cancelled the Loouisiana-Monroe tournament which was originally on our schedule. I would also like to thank our athletic administration for understanding our situation and for making it possible for us to come to Oklahoma to compete," said head coach Scooter Savoie. "Not playing this weekend would have put us at least four games behind everyone else in the country."
The loss drops the Cowgirls to 1-2 on the season who will face Jackson State at 1 p.m. today.
"I'm proud of the character of our team. They had a lot thrown at them over the last couple of weeks with weather conditions and the recent evacuation. We know our first priority in soccer is to develop consistency in our team and that will only come from regular training and competition. Our goal this weekend is to be a better team and we are confident that we have the talent and personality to get the results turned in our favor."
Stephen F. Austin 0 at Louisiana Tech 2
RUSTON, La. - For the third time in as many games, missed opportunities were the story for the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack soccer team. SFA created scoring chances for itself all night but came up on the short side of a 2-0 verdict at Louisiana Tech Friday night.
"I am starting to sound like a broken record," SFA head coach George Van Linder said after the game. "We created a lot of chances that we didn't finish, and then we have two mental mistakes in the back."
Louisiana Tech (2-1-0) posted a pair of first-half goals then held the Ladyjacks (1-3-0) off in the second period to secure the win.
For the second consecutive game, SFA found itself behind early on a hard-luck goal. Louisiana Tech took a 1-0 lead when the Techsters' Rachel King rebounded a shot off the post and put the ball in an empty net in the 17th minute.
The Techsters added an insurance goal in the 33rd minute, when Kristin Sevier followed a missed shot by a teammate with a scoring strike from 18 yards out.
SFA, despite playing in the Techster half of the field long enough to earn five first-half corner kicks, had just three shots in the opening period and couldn't find the net. Junior Megan Cash and freshman Katie O'Briant each recorded a shot on goal in the first half, but Louisiana Tech went to halftime with its 2-0 lead intact.
The Techsters opened the second half with three shots on goal in the first 10 minutes, but SFA goalkeeper Courtney Bauder snagged them all.
SFA had its chances in the second period. The Ladyjacks got a shot on goal from senior Summer Bradfield in the half's opening minutes, and sophomore Kesia Broome put one on goal 83 minutes in. Cash bounced two shots off the post -- the first in the 71st minute and the second coming with just 33 seconds to play.
"We hit every post and bar on the goal possible without it going in," Van Linder said.
SFA finished the second half with seven shots, just one off the eight second-half shots put up by Louisiana Tech. For the game, the Techsters outshot SFA, 14-10, with a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal. The Ladyjacks were aggressive enough to finish with an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks but couldn't put one in the net.
Bauder moved to 1-2-0 on the season. She started and played all 90 minutes, recording five saves with two goals against.
Friday's loss, coupled with last Sunday's defeat at Houston gives the Ladyjacks consecutive defeats for the first time this season. SFA is yet to win a game or score a goal in a road contest in 2008.
The loss to Louisiana Tech evens SFA's all-time series record against the Techsters, 2-2-0. Each team has now won both games at its home venue.
The Ladyjacks return home Sunday to take on Arkansas State. The game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. from the SFA Soccer Complex, where SFA is 1-0-0 this season.
"We like how we are developing, but, as the coach, I must find a way to increase the pace of this," Van Linder said. "I am sure the players and fans will see a difference soon."