SOCCER: Sept. 11 Scoreboard
Nicholls 10, Alcorn State 0
Stephen F. Austin 1, Louisiana-Monroe 0
Oral Roberts 3, UIW 1
Missouri State 2, Central Arkansas 1
SMU 3, Sam Houston State 1
North Texas 6, Lamar 0
TCU 4, Abilene Christian 0
Houston 3, McNeese State 0
Nicholls 10, Alcorn State 0
THIBODAUX, La.
– The Nicholls State University women’s soccer team set a program record with 10 goals on Friday night, in a shutout victory over Alcorn State at the Nicholls Soccer Complex.
Despite a 75-minute delay to the start of the contest, the Colonels (2-3-1) wasted no time grabbing an early lead over the Braves (0-2), when Hannah Savoie took a pass from Kaylie Daniels and scored from 30 yards out at the 4:30 mark.
Over the next nine minutes, Mie Elvestad scored her first and second goals of the season, giving Nicholls a 3-0 advantage only 13 minutes into the match.
Savoie scored her second goal of the night and put the Colonels up four, when she took a pass from Ainsley Pratt, sprinted 20 yards and finished past Alcorn State goalie Tristan Smith.
Anna Gourgues and Shelby Smith each found the net before the half to give Nicholls a 6-0 advantage going into the break.
The Colonels continued their offensive outburst in the second period as Kristyn Daniels and Ali Ward each scored a goal, and Miranda O’Neil scored twice.
Savoie, Elvestad and O’Neal led Nicholls offensively with two goals apiece, while Kristyn Daniels, Ward, Gourgues and Smith each contributed a goal. Pratt, Emily Werenskiold, Francesca Curteis and Erin Blackwell each had two assists in the win, while Kaylie Daniels and Mie Elvestad both contributed an assist. Elvestad had team-highs in both shots (four) and shots on goal (four).
Yolanda Guardado paced the Braves offensively with four shots (two on goal).
Amanda Boylson held the net for the Colonels, recording three saves in the shutout victory.
Smith played the first 64 minutes as goalkeeper for Alcorn State, surrendering eight goals and totaled four saves. Rachel Lee closed out the game for the Braves, earning six saves, with two goals allowed.
The previous Nicholls record for goals in a game was set on Aug. 23, 2013, when the Colonels downed Southern, 8-1.
Nicholls will open Southland Conference play on the road against Lamar on Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.
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Stephen F. Austin 1, Louisiana-Monroe 0
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Senior captain Rachel Owens scored her first goal of the season and the defense recorded the first shutout of the year to give the Stephen F. Austin women’s soccer team a 1-0 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in the team’s home opener on Friday night at SFA Soccer Field.
It didn’t take long for the Ladyjacks (1-5-0) to take control. Owens tidied up a loose ball in front of goal from five yards out in the fourth minute of play. Sophomore forward Hanna Barker initiated the attack, whipping in a cross from the left sideline where Owens was waiting to clean up the rebound off the keeper’s hands.
The goal was the ninth during Owens’ four-year career and Barker now has five assists as a Ladyjack.
“I’m really proud of our team for coming out and playing so hard tonight,” said Owens. “It’s been a tough start to the season but we’ve grown as a team over the last few weeks and tonight is a testament to our resiliency. We were relentless tonight and it feels good to get our first win.”
The veteran midfielder made her presence known in the attack early and often on Friday night, finishing with a team-high five shots with three on frame. Owens uncorked a low, line drive strike late in the first half that nearly beat ULM’s keeper. She also got her head on a Brooke Dunnigan corner kick in the 28th minute that required a diving save.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Lillie Ehlert was solid in goal for the Ladyjacks, picking up four saves and keeping SFA’s first clean sheet of the year. Defenders Kelly Ann Craig, Julianna Echavarry, Chantal Curry and Dunnigan each played a full 90 minutes as SFA’s last line of defense, helping to preserve the shutout. The unit forced the Warhawks (3-4-1) to settle for shots from long distance for most of the night.
Though one goal was enough to capture the win, the Ladyjacks nearly broke through on several other occasions. Junior midfielder Amanda Doyle connected on a volley at the penalty area midway through the first half that whizzed inches wide left. She took three shots in the game.
Barker and redshirt sophomore forward Carolina Orsi each tested the ULM keeper with shots on target and Madison Hall, Meghan Corder and Crystal Calvit also got shots off during the match. Overall, SFA outshot ULM 13-9 with five cracks on goal.
“We played some really good soccer tonight,” said head coach Wally Crittenden. “I thought the speed of play was good. There are some things that we still need to fine tune, but as we really got into a rhythm in the second half we began to impose ourselves in possession while getting numbers forward. I’m just so glad that our players have stayed dedicated to who they are and have continued to push through adversity. I’m excited for our team after tonight’s performance.”
With the victory, SFA extends its home winning streak to nine games dating back to the beginning of last season. The Ladyjacks will go for their 10th straight on Sunday afternoon when Texas State comes to town for a 1 p.m. kick.
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Oral Roberts 3, UIW 1
TULSA, OKLAHOMA – The University of the Incarnate Word lost at Oral Roberts University on Friday night, 3-1 at the Case Soccer Complex.
The Golden Eagles (3-1-2) jumped on the Cardinals (2-5-0) right from the opening kick. Brittney Lawrence peppered the UIW goal early and often. She hit the post and shot high in the third minute and then opened the scoring in the fifth minute. The ball was crossed into the box and Lawrence scored from five yards out. Libby Shriver and Maria Stordahl were credited with assists on the play.
Oral Roberts almost doubled the score in the 37th minute. A penalty kick was awarded to the home team, but Karly Brightwell was able to make the save for the Cardinals against Lexi Jones.
Coming out of halftime, the Cardinals almost immediately tied the game. A ball was deflected in the box and freshman Emani Stewart came up with the loose ball and she scored just 48 seconds into the half. It was her second goal of the season.
The score remained tied for 12 minutes when the Golden Eagles went up for good. Maria Stordahl played a long pass to Kayla Keller who out ran the defense and scored from five yards out at 57:47. ORU put the game away in the 82nd minute when Caitlyn Hanslovan scored off a through ball from Chloe Basnett right in front of goal.
Oral Roberts attempted 25 shots in the game while the Cardinals only managed four. Brightwell made nine saves for UIW, but was dealt the loss. Maddie Rhodes and Rylieg Bohnenstiehl split the minutes in the net for ORU.
The Cardinals are back in action on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. when they play at University of Tulsa.
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Missouri State 2, Central Arkansas 1
CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas women’s soccer returned to the pitch at the Bill Stephens Soccer Complex on Friday night, playing host to the maroon Bears of Missouri State University. A late own goal proved to be the difference-maker, as Missouri State edged out Central Arkansas 2-1.
Missouri State (3-2-1) took an early lead, when Brooke Prodzinski played a ball forward to Alix Opfer, who beat Central Arkansas keeper Anna Hughes in the top right corner from nine yards out for her sixth goal of the season.
The purple Bears (2-5) looked to even the score before the break, taking six shots, but were unable to find an equalizer before halftime.
Central Arkansas found the tying goal in the 60th minute, when junior Shelby Wilson played a cross into the MSU box, where freshman Ashley Smith volleyed home the ball from five yards out for her second goal of the season.
“We’ve been talking about that a lot this season,” said Central Arkansas head coach Jeremy Bishop. “About getting to the end line, and getting players to commit to coming across and trying to stop us instead of just playing the long cross in. We did that. Shelby got in deep, and played a good ball into the box, and Ashley got in and buried it.”
The score would hold at 1-1 until the 67th minute, when Missouri State would take the lead on a defensive miscue from UCA. Lauren Fussell launched a corner kick into the Central Arkansas box, where it bounced off of multiple players before winding up in the UCA net, giving the maroon Bears a 2-1 lead.
Central Arkansas got a good chance to even the score just 10 minutes later, but Camille Bassett’s attempt glanced off the crossbar. Dayna Mounie and Smith each got off a shot in the waning moments of the match, but both were blocked by MSU defenders.
“It was one of those games that could have gone either way, and we’ve had a lot of those this year,” Bishop said. “We have to keep fighting, because we’re creating good scoring chances, we’re limiting the other teams, and this is the kind of game that we’re going to be playing all through conference, so I think we’re preparing ourselves well. Hopefully we can grow from this one, and learn from it so that when we get in another of these games, we can be on other end of it.”
Smith led the Central Arkansas attack on the night, placing two of her four shots on goal, while Wilson and Kelsey Johnson each added a shot on goal of their own. In goal, Hughes and Lauren Mercuri each allowed a goal, with Hughes making three saves and Mercuri adding a pair.
The Bears are in action again on Sunday, playing host to Mississippi Valley State in a final tune-up before the Southland Conference slate begins next weekend. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. “
We’ve got one more game before conference,” said Bishop of the Bears’ matchup with the Devilettes. “We’ve tried to look at all of our games so far as an opportunity to get better for conference play, and we’ve got another on Sunday. Tonight we took a step, and that’s what we need to do on Sunday. It’s a game that we’ve handled in the past, but they seem to be a much-improved team this year, so it won’t be given to us. We’ll have to come ready to play.”
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SMU 3, Sam Houston State 1
DALLAS, Texas – The Sam Houston State soccer defense has been a strength all season but was unable to slow down SMU’s potent offense, allowing a season-high three goals in a 3-1 loss to the Mustangs on Friday evening from Wescott Field.
Meanwhile, the Bearkats (2-3-1) offense was limited to a season-low three shots, with the lone score coming from junior Jordan Jarzombek, who secured her first goal of the season and third-career netter. The Spring product has produced one goal each of the last three seasons.
After SMU (2-3-2) went up 2-0 in the 51
st minute, the Kats struck 20 seconds later when Jarzombek headed one in, thanks to a nice ball from Maddy Panozzo who registered her first assist.
Sam Houston senior goalkeeper Kylie Hambleton recorded three saves while the Mustangs’ Shannon Maroney needed just one. The Mustangs logged 17 shots, including six on goal, with a pair of goals coming from Paige Jacobs and another from Lauren Guerra.
Jacobs put SMU up in the 16
th minute with her second goal of the season, helped by Vanessa Valedez, who registered all three assists for the Mustangs. Jacobs added her second in the 51st minute.
With the Bearkats hanging around within one in the 62nd minute, Guerra delivered a ball to the left of Hambleton to increase the deficit. The match saw 10 penalties including seven on the Mustangs.
Sam Houston wraps up non-conference play on Sunday, visiting Prairie View A&M. The match is slated for 7 p.m. from the Prairie View A&M Soccer Complex.
For the latest on Bearkat soccer, follow @SHSUSoccer and visit GoBearkats.com.
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North Texas 6, Lamar 0
DENTON, Texas – The Lamar Cardinals couldn’t overcome a slow start in a 6-0 loss to the host North Texas Mean Green in a non-conference women’s soccer game Friday night.
North Texas (6-1-0), which received votes in the national poll earlier this season, took a 1-0 lead just 3:27 into the game and never looked back. The Mean Green made it a busy night for LU goalkeeper Lauren Lovejoy, who faced a season-high 39 shots, North Texas had a 39-2 advantage in shots, including a 14-1 edge in shots on goal.
Rachel Holden opened the scoring for North Texas, collecting a carom off a LU defender and blasting a shot past Lovejoy. The Mean Green made it 2-0 with 15:10 remaining in the first half as Karla Pineda scored the first of her two goals on the evening.
That was all the scoring in the first half, as the Cardinals tightened up defensively for the remainder of the period.
“The total shots are deceptive because North Texas took a lot of long shots,” Cervantes said. “Unfortunately, every time we made a mistake they seemed to capitalize.”
The Cardinals (3-4-0) came out inspired to start the second half, but were unable to turn their determination into many good scoring chances, as North Texas goalkeeper Jackie Kerestine needed to make just one save on the night, stopping Jordan Mulnix in the opening minutes of the second half.
North Texas withstood LU’s early second-half rush and responded with two goals within a span of 4:28 to put the game away. Marchelle Davis made it 3-0 with an unassisted tally with 28:38 remaining before Pineda made it 4-0 at the 65:50 mark as she scored off a cross from Holden.
Lovejoy finished with eight saves for the Cardinals.
“Their coach told me that we really played well at the start of the second half,” Cervantes said. “That makes me feel a little better. But we have to do it for 90 minutes. We have the talent, but we have to learn to fight through adversity.”
Tori Phillips and Amber Haggerty scored for the Mean Green in the final minutes to close out the scoring.
“We had the game plan in place, but we got away from it,” Cervantes said. “When we make a mistake we try to atone for it by trying to do too much. That leads to more mistakes.”
The Cardinals attempt to bounce back from Friday’s loss when they host Alcorn State at 1 p.m. Sunday at the LU Soccer Complex. Sunday is youth day, with all youth soccer players receiving free admission when they wear their soccer uniform to the game.
“We’re going to be OK,” Cervantes said. “We’re young and we have the talent. It’s just a matter of time before it all comes together.”
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TCU 4, Abilene Christian 0
FORT WORTH, Texas -TCU scored two goals in a four-minute window early in the second half and allowed five shots all match to the visiting Abilene Christian Wildcats during Friday's 4-0 victory before a crowd of 1,508 fans at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium.
The win lifted the Horned Frogs' season record above .500 for the first time all year at 4-3, while ACU fell to 1-5-1.
TCU held an 11-1 advantage in shots at the break but was only ahead 1-0 thanks to four saves by ACU junior goalkeeper Sydney Newton, but Kayla Hill made it a 2-0 score just two minutes into the second half on what was the Frogs' second shot.
Approximately four minutes later Hill lined up for one of a dozen TCU corner kicks, which found its way into the goalmouth and on onto to foot of Michelle Prokof, who booted in her second goal of the match and sixth of the season.
Prokof's first goal came at the start of the 18th minute as she buried a shot from inside the six after receiving a pair of passes from Makenzie Koch and Karitas Tomasdottir.
The score remained 3-0 until the 78th minute when Allison Ganter finished off a give-and-go pass from Jill Finnerty.
Of the eight shots TCU took in the second half, four were on frame, and three rattled the net as Newton finished with five saves.
ACU had four shots in the second half, two of which were saved by goalkeeper Shannon Coffer who recorded her team's third shutout in four games.
Freshmen Sophie Standifer and Dylan Owens led the Wildcats with three shots each. Junior Alyssa Gerner had a shot saved by Coffer in the 65th minute, while Owens' attempt was intercepted in the 55th.
The Wildcats return to action Sunday at 1 p.m. for a Longhorn Network match at Texas that will conclude their non-conference season.
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Houston 3, McNeese State 0
HOUSTON, Texas – McNeese State senior goalkeeper Lauren Sestak’s seven saves in goal was the highlight in a tough fought loss Friday evening at Carl Lewis Field as the Cowgirls dropped a 3-0 shutout to the University of Houston in their only match on the weekend.
Sestak, a native of Spring, Texas, has recorded seven or more saves in five of the six matches this season and has given up only seven goals despite facing 98 shots. He has a .833 save percentage on the season, which ranks among the top in the Southland Conference.
“Tonight was a tough loss but we had some good moments during the match,” said head coach Scooter Savoie. “We also had some moments where we were caught out of our shape and were unbalanced. We need to improve our balance as a team heading into conference play. We haven’t been able to score in the last couple of games so we need to do a better job in the attacking third.
McNeese (3-3) avoided a barrage of shots throughout the match while Houston (2-4) was able to fire off 14 total attempts against the Cowgirls. Friday night marked the fourth consecutive match that McNeese faced 10 or more shots against its opponent.
“I thought our backline did well with a couple of players stepping up to hold that line down,” said Savoie. “We need to sort out our rotation in the midfield and should be fine. We are going to go back and study our first six games and look at the things we were doing well early on and try to reemphasize those things to help give us a some positive momentum moving forward.
The Cowgirls wrapped up the non-conference slate with two wins on the road and one victory at home.
“All-in-all, I think that non-conference play turned out well,” said Savoie. We have players still learning each other and have had some good games while we took it on the chin for a couple of matches. However, I think we are going to be good to go next weekend.”
Houston’s first goal of the match occurred in the first 15 minutes of the match as the Cougars’ Selena Peters sent a cross shot that found Hailey Kirkwood who shot from the left side past the goalkeeper for the 1-0 advantage.
The Cougars upped the lead in the second half on a barrage of shots that were saved, deflected off the bar and rebounded back to the original shooter, Lexa Green, who was able to slip past the defense and give UH a 2-0 lead over McNeese.
The final goal was scored by Houston in the 71st minute of the match on an open goal tap in to go up 3-0.
UH led both teams in total shots, 14-6, and shots on goal, 5-0. McNeese held the advantage in corner kicks, 3-1.
Sophomore Gabi D’Alesandro logged two shots in the match while four other Cowgirls were able to record a shot.
The Cowgirls will take Sunday off to rest before the start of Southland Conference action next weekend. McNeese will host Southeastern Louisiana in Lake Charles on Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.
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