SOCCER: Oct. 18 Scoreboard
Stephen F. Austin 2, Southeastern La. 0
A&M-Corpus Christi 2, Central Arkansas 1
Nicholls 2, Sam Houston State 0
Abilene Christian 3, McNeese State 2
Houston Baptist 3, Northwestern State 1
UIW 1, Lamar 1 (2OT)
Stephen F. Austin 2, Southeastern La. 0
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – In the final home game of the 2015 season, the Stephen F. Austin women’s soccer team picked up an impressive 2-0 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on what was a beautiful Sunday afternoon at SFA Soccer Field. The result puts the Ladyjacks at 6-0-2 in the Southland Conference – still one point clear of Abilene Christian for first place.
Junior midfielder Amanda Doyle and freshman forward Breanna Moore each scored a goal for SFA with sophomore forward Hanna Barker getting the assist on each. Doyle put the Ladyjacks on top early with a goal at the 7:58 mark while Moore provided the finishing touches with a tally at 81:55.
Doyle struck first on Sunday afternoon with a stunning combination of creativity and finesse from 12 yards out. Barker delivered a terrific through ball on a right-footed volley that Doyle was able to control to get one-on-one with SLU keeper Hope Sabadash. Doyle then chipped a ball over a charging Sabadash that floated into the right side netting to give SFA a 1-0 lead.
With seven goals in eight league games, Doyle is in first position in both goals scored and points (16) this season. She also scored on Friday night against Nicholls.
The two teams played each other fairly evenly over the middle of the game but Moore all but secured the win for SFA in the 82nd minute. After Barker beat multiple defenders down the left flank, she whipped a ball over Sabadash to the back post where Moore was waiting to drive a header home. The goal, Moore’s second in as many games, gave SFA a 2-0 cushion that wouldn’t be relinquished.
With Barker’s two assists on Sunday, she finishes the weekend with three helpers and one goal. Moore, who also assisted on a goal and scored against Nicholls on Friday, ended the weekend with five points.
The ‘Jacks could have easily had two or three more goals on Sunday afternoon. Just minutes after entering the game, senior forward Amanda Fox rocketed a shot off the crossbar in the first half that would have put SFA up 2-0 at the break. Doyle also had a breakaway shot saved in the second period while Barker provided two more shots on target.
The Ladyjacks limited the Lady Lions to just one look at goal all game – a close-range shot which freshman goalkeeper Allyson Smith saved at a crucial juncture in the second half with an acrobatic dive. Redshirt sophomore keeper Lillie Ehlert (6-5-2), who started the game and played the entire first half before making way for Smith in the second, was credited with the win. The team shutout is the fifth of the year for SFA.
For the first time during its SLC slate, SFA was outshot by SLU, 16-12. Most of the Lady Lions’ shots had to come from distance, however, with great defensive pressure applied by the Ladyjack back line – Brooke Dunnigan, Kelly Ann Craig, Julianna Echavarry, Chantal Curry and Bailey Bosley. SFA held a 5-1 edge in shots on goal while SLU controlled the corner kick distribution, 5-3.
Including Sunday’s shutout, SFA hasn’t conceded a goal to SLU over the last six meetings dating back to 2010. The win also extends the Ladyjacks’ overall unbeaten streak in conference to 30 games.
The Ladyjacks have three road games remaining in the regular season, starting with a tough task at Abilene Christian next Friday night at 7:00 p.m. The Wildcats currently sit one point behind SFA in second place. The ‘Jacks then travel to Incarnate Word in San Antonio on Sunday afternoon for a 1 p.m. kick.
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A&M-Corpus Christi 2, Central Arkansas 1
Corpus Christi, Texas – With less than two minutes remaining in regulation, freshman Kristin Kelley scored her first career goal, and what a goal it was. After collecting a loose ball outside the box, Kelley sent a shot from 35-yards dipping underneath the crossbar for the game winner, as the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's soccer team defeated Central Arkansas 2-1 on Sunday.
The Islanders fell behind early in the match in the fourth minute. Camille Bassett, the leading scorer for the Sugar Bears, picked up her seventh goal of the season when she scored on a breakaway.
Following the goal, Islanders goalkeeper Megan Delaney would be called on to make three saves before the 20th minute, including a block on a Central Arkansas breakaway in the 14th minute.
In the 21st minute, A&M-Corpus Christi scored an equalizer on a tap-in from Emma Biba. Hailey Sutton, who pressured the Sugar Bears backline the entire match, forced UCA goalkeeper Lauren Mercuri to make a save, but the netminder could not control the rebound. Biba pounced on the loose ball to score her first career goal.
Aside from Bassett hitting the outside of the post in the 71st minute, neither side was able to convert possession into meaningful attempts on goal. Both teams began to prepare for overtime, until Kelley's shot stunned the Sugar Bears and gave the Islanders their third conference victory of the season.
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Nicholls 2, Sam Houston State 0
Recap to follow.
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Abilene Christian 3, McNeese State 2
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Abilene Christian head coach and program architect Casey Wilson won his 100th career match Sunday as the Wildcats held on to defeat McNeese State, 3-2, in double overtime on a game-winning penalty kick by junior Maria Gomez.
Gomez' goal was her third in the last four matches with the PK awarded after a McNeese player was called for a flagrant handball in the goalbox.
The win not only was a milestone victory for the only head coach in ACU's nine-year history, but it also served as the club's fifth-consecutive triumph to even its season record at 7-7-2. The Wildcats today additionally clinched their third consecutive winning season against the Southland Conference at 6-1-1 with three matches left on the schedule.
The first of those matches takes place Friday at 7 p.m. at Elmer Gray Stadium, where the Wildcats will play host to Stephen F. Austin (7-6-2, 6-0-2) for a shot at first place. ACU will then welcome Sam Houston State Sunday at 1 p.m. and concludes its fall season Friday, Oct. 30 vs. its old rivals from Incarnate Word.
Prior to today ACU had never defeated McNeese let alone score a goal against the Cowgirls, who shut out the Wildcats, 1-0, the previous two seasons. Thankfully, though, the Wildcats broke their scoreless streak 20 minutes into the match when Sophie Standifer punched back a Dylan Owens' deflection for her team-leading fifth goal of the season, and very late in the second half Owens provided an insurance goal midway through the 86th minute to make it a 2-0 game.
By all rights, this match should have never seen overtime, but the Cowgirls continued to keep their foot on the gas and cut their deficit in half on a Gabi D'Alesandro strike in the 88th minute. And with only five seconds left in regulation, Sara Ortiz tied the score after winning a one-on-one battle vs. ACU goalkeeper Sydney Newton.
The Ortiz goal came a mere 18 seconds after a Nicci Nelson shot was rejected by the crossbar.
The two sides combined for three shots in the first overtime. McNeese missed its first attempt wide and then ACU's Peyton Bucklew had her shot intercepted by Cowgirl GK Maggie Marks. Gomez fired a shot that sailed high in the 96th minute and afterward there wasn't another attempt taken until her PK, which came in the 102nd minute.
The win was ACU's first in double overtime since 2013 when they beat Drury on the road, 2-1, which was part of a six-match winning streak.
ACU outshot the Cowgirls 13-2 in the first half with six corner kicks, but the second half was much more even as each squad finished with nine shots. The Wildcats also had four corners in the second half, while McNeese had three.
Standifer led all players with six shots. Gomez and Lindsey Jones tied for second with four apiece.
In goal, Newton made two saves in the complete-game effort to raise her record to 6-3-1. The loss was given to Marks (3-3), who only played the 11:47 of overtime.
Lauren Sestak started for McNeese and made six saves through 90 minutes of regulation.
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Houston Baptist 3, Northwestern State 1
NATCHITOCHES, La. – Houston Baptist women’s soccer scored three second-half goals to erase a 1-0 Northwestern State lead in a 3-1 Huskies win Sunday afternoon from the Lady Demon Soccer Complex.
HBU (8-4-1 overall, 6-2-0 SLC) was led by Jessa LeBlanc and Sabriah Spencer, who each registered three-point games on the day; a career-high in points for LeBlanc. Blake Martin took a match-high four shots for HBU. Alanis Guevara earned the win in goal as she made four saves.
Cassandra Briscoe scored for Northwestern State (5-8-3, 2-4-2), as she and Brittany Caserma had a team-best three shots apiece. Alex Latham suffered the loss between the pipes as she stopped six shots.
The Lady Demons scored the game’s first goal just six minutes in, as Esdeina Gonzalez’s shot was deflected, but the rebound went to Briscoe who scored from 10 yards out.
HBU outshot the Lady Demons, 10-8, in the opening half, but Northwestern State doubled up the Huskies in corner kicks, 4-2.
HBU put the pedal to the metal to start the second half, with three corners and two shots on goal in the first 12 minutes, but nothing to show. The Huskies broke through in the 61st minute, as LeBlanc scored the equalizer, assisted by Spencer, who sent in a terrific cross.
After clearing two corner attempts by the Lady Demons, the tandem of LeBlanc and Spencer struck again to give HBU a 2-1 lead in the 83rd minute, as LeBlanc passed to an open Spencer in the box.
Sixteen seconds after entering the game as a sub, Gabby Rodriguez gave the Huskies some insurance, as she took advantage of a Northwestern State defensive miscue and beat Latham in the 88th minute for a 3-1 Huskies advantage.
HBU outshot the Lady Demons, 7-3, in the second half and 17-11 in the match. Northwestern State held a slim 4-3 advantage in second-half corner kicks and controlled the corners, 8-5, in the match.
HBU returns to Sorrels Field for the final three matches of the regular season, beginning with a Friday night tilt against McNeese State on Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m.
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UIW 1, Lamar 1 (2OT)
BEAUMONT, Texas – Freshman Jordan Mulnix tied a Lamar University single-season record with her 12th goal of the season, but the Cardinals saw their postseason hopes dampened after battling to a 1-1 tie with visiting Incarnate Word in a Southland Conference women’s soccer game Sunday.
Mulnix’s goal tied the mark set by Kimmy Albeon in 2012. It was the 42
nd goal of the season for the Cardinals (6-10-1 overall, 2-5-1 Southland) breaking the previous team mark of 41 set in 2012. The tie leaves the Cardinals trailing Texas A&M-Corpus Christi by three points for the final Southland Conference Tournament berth with three games remaining. McNeese State and Northwestern state are also ahead of the Cardinals in the standings.
Cervantes was referring to Incarnate Word freshman Sydney Huntingser, who finished with 18 saves to keep UIW in the game, as LU enjoyed a 19-9 advantage in shots on goal.
Incarnate Word (3-11-2, 1-5-2) jumped into an early lead on an unassisted goal by Sabrina Martineau just 7:50 into the contest. Martineau took advantage of a miscommunication on the LU back line to pick up a loose ball and blast a shot into the upper right corner past LU goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy.
LU had several glittering scoring opportunities to tie the game, but couldn’t get the ball past Huntingser until late in the second half on a nifty passing play by Mari Olastuen and Juliana Ocampo to set up Mulnix all alone in front of the UIW net. Huntingser had no chance on the play. Olastuen extended her own LU single-season record with her ninth assist of the year.
LU continued to control the play for the rest of regulation, but couldn’t get another shot past Huntingser. LU had the best scoring opportunity in overtime, but Alexus Aviles’ point-blank shot in the opening minutes went just wide.
Lovejoy made eight saves for LU, giving her 138 for the season, nine shy of the LU record of 147 set by Kelsie Binetti in 2007.
LU has three remaining games, all on the road. The Cards are Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m. Friday and at Houston Baptist at 1 p.m. Sunday before traveling to McNeese State for the regular-season finale at 7 p.m. Oct. 30.
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