SOCCER: Sept. 27 Scoreboard
McNeese State 2, Northwestern State 1 (2OT)
UIW 2, Nicholls 1
Southeastern Louisiana 1, Abilene Christian 0
Stephen F. Austin 2, Houston Baptist 1
Sam Houston State 1, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 0
Central Arkansas 6, Lamar 1
McNeese State 2, Northwestern State 1 (2OT)
NATCHITOCHES, La. – Sophomore Sarah Ortiz scored a golden goal with just under five minutes left in the second overtime period giving the McNeese State women’s soccer team a dramatic 2-1 win over Southland Conference foe Northwestern State at the Lady Demon Soccer Complex Sunday.
The victory brought about a number of firsts for the Cowgirls (4-5, 1-2 SLC) who have clawed their way back from a five-game skid and pick up their first points in league play this season. Ortiz’s game-winner was also the first of her colligate career as she became the eighth different McNeese player to score a goal this season.
McNeese scored the game’s first goal in the eighth minute when Bettina Brulhart chipped in a shot to the upper right corner of the net. It was the first time since August 28 that the Cowgirls had netted the first goal of the match. Brulhart’s goal was her team-leading third of the season. Junior Kayla Goedicke added to her goal on Friday with an assist on the first goal.
Northwestern State (3-6-2, 0-2-1 SLC) tied the game when a long send off found the Lady Demons’ BB face-to-face with McNeese goalie Lauren Sestak. The two collided and the shot was able to tip in at the 27:35 mark of the match to knot the score.
The collision sidelined Sestak with a diagnosed mild concussion while senior Maggie Marks was called upon to help her Cowgirl squad against a scrappy Northwestern State team.
Marks withstood a barrage of shots to keep the slate clean for the final 88 minutes and added three saves to her credit to pick up her first win of the season.
Both teams had several scoring chances throughout the remainder of regulation. The Cowgirls had a chance when a blast from a Cowgirl striker from about 20 yards out deflected off the hands of the Lady Demon goalie and was headed back towards the net from a wide-open Brulhart but again was saved by NSU.
The game remained tied for the remainder of regulation and the first overtime. The Lady Demons seemed to control most of the action leading in shots taken.
In the second overtime, both teams were slowing down due to physical play that sideline players from each respective squad.
Then, Ortiz scored the game-winner in the 105th minute on a great effort that was corralled by a group of Cowgirls before finding the Moreno Valley, Calif. native. Her shot from just outside the box seemed to deflect and almost swayed to not reach the net but ended up taking a favorable bounce past the goalkeeper outstretched hands into the goal at the mark
Brulhart was credited with the assist on the play and now leads in total points this season with three goals and one assist.
Northwestern State held the advantage in shots taken, 17-12, while both teams tied in three corner kicks apiece.
Sunday’s victory was the first time since the 2008-2009 seasons that McNeese had scored two consecutive victories over Northwestern State and the first time since 2012 that the Cowgirls had one in Natchitoches.
McNeese will be back in action this weekend as they return home for a pair of key Southland Conference matchups at Cowgirl Field. The Pokes will face off against Sam Houston State on Friday at 7 p.m. followed by one of their toughest matches of the season against Stephen F. Austin Sunday with kickoff slated for 1 p.m.
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UIW 2, Nicholls 1
THIBODAUX, LOUISIANA – The University of the Incarnate Word women's soccer team snapped an eight game losing streak and won their first Southland Conference game of the season on the road against Nicholls, 2-1 on Sunday.
Nicholls (2-6-1, 0-3 SLC) had an active first half with eight shots compared to UIW's four. The Cardinals (3-8, 1-2) broke the standoff in the 37th minute when Emily Halal made the crucial pass to Megan Baker. Baker finished it past the keeper to the left corner for her first goal of the season. She almost extended the lead to 2-0 six minutes later, but the Colonel keeper, Amanda Boylson, made the save.
Freshman Emani Stewart (Victorville, CA/Hesperia HS) doubled the lead for the Cardinals eight minutes after halftime. She noticed that the Nicholls keeper had over stepped in an attempt to win the ball so she curved it into an empty net. Stewart is now tied for the team lead with four goals on the season.
The Cardinals could not hold on to their first shutout in conference play when Spencer Valdespino scored on a penalty kick in the 88
th minute. Karly Brightwell (Houston/Elkins HS) had an outstanding game for UIW with 10 saves to earn her first win of the season.
Nicholls outshot UIW, 16-8. Valdespino took nine of those shots, with seven on goal. Baker fired off four for the Cardinals, while Stewart attempted two. Boylson made three saves in the entire game.
The Cardinals will be returning home for a match against Central Arkansas on Friday at 7 p.m. They will also host Northwestern State on Sunday at 11 a.m.
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Southeastern Louisiana 1, Abilene Christian 0
HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana junior Lauren Lorentz headed in a corner kick by sophomore Ana Zadro in the 75th minute to give the Lady Lion soccer team a 1-0 victory over Abilene Christian in Southland Conference women’s soccer action Sunday afternoon at Strawberry Stadium.
With the victory, SLU (8-1-1, 3-0 Southland) extended its unbeaten streak to seven matches and its win streak to four matches. The only team in the Southland to make it through the first two weeks of league play unbeaten and untied, the Lady Lions sit alone atop the Southland Conference standings. Abilene Christian fell to 2-7-2 overall and 1-1-1 in league action.
Junior goalkeeper Hope Sabadash earned her sixth shutout of the season for SLU, finishing with six saves. Lorentz, senior Maddie Allen, senior Cheyenne Maxwell, freshman Christina Cutura and sophomore Maddie Kresevic all contributed to a back line effort that held the visiting Wildcats to eight shots.
Both teams had near misses on scoring opportunities in the first half. Junior Marisa Rodrigues got free on a breakaway, but her shot ricocheted off the right post to keep SLU off the board. ACU nearly found the net later in the half, as freshman Dylan Owens had an open look from close range, but her shot banged off the cross bar to keep the match scoreless.
Southeastern generated one of its nine corner kick opportunities a little past the midway point of the second half to set up the winning score. Zadro played a perfectly placed ball on frame and Lorentz was right there to head it past ACU junior goalkeeper Sydney Newton and give SLU a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Lions were able to make the Luling, Louisiana native’s first goal of the season stand up, as SLU kept the ball on the ACU half of the pitch and held the Wildcats without a shot for the final 15 minutes.
Southeastern will return to action on Friday, traveling to Houston Baptist for a 7 p.m. league match.
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Stephen F. Austin 2, Houston Baptist 1
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – To say that Amanda Doyle has been playing well over the last two weeks would be an immense understatement. The junior midfielder scored two more goals on Sunday afternoon, including the game winner in the final 10 minutes, to lift the Stephen F. Austin women’s soccer team over Houston Baptist 2-1 at SFA Soccer Field. The Ladyjacks improve to 2-0-1 in Southland Conference play and 3-6-1 overall with the victory.
Doyle opened the scoring at the 31:04 mark. She received a beautiful cross from Bailey Bosley at the top of the box, used a touch to get one-on-one with the keeper and tucked the ball neatly inside the right post. Bosley’s long service from the right wing was perfectly placed and the subsequent assist marks the first of the freshman’s collegiate career.
Houston Baptist (4-3-1, 2-1-0 SLC) tied the game at 1-1 early in the second half but Doyle had the answer for the Ladyjacks late in the game. In the 81st minute, sophomore forward Hanna Barker drove down the left sideline and whistled a cross into the mix. Doyle outmuscled her defender to get on the end of Barker’s offering and blasted a header past the keeper to put SFA back on top 2-1.
The Ladyjacks would manage from there, fending off a few late attacks from the Huskies to preserve the victory.
Doyle’s two-goal performance on Sunday is her second straight multi-goal showing. She now has five goals on the year – all of which have come in the last three league contests. The Carrollton native boasts a conference-high 11 points and has been a part of each of SFA’s six goals in SLC play. She netted two and assisted on another in the Ladyjacks’ 3-0 win against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday night and put one away in the SLC opener against Northwestern State.
In a back-and-forth battle, the Ladyjacks outshot the Huskies 15-11 but were outdone in shots on goal, 6-4. SFA held a 6-4 edge in corners taken when all was said and done.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Lillie Ehlert collected five saves in 90 minutes of work. The only blemish on the score sheet was the result of a nearly unstoppable goal by HBU. Jessa LeBlanc leveled the game in the 54th minute after getting to a rebound in the box, turning and placing the ball in the upper right corner.
With Sunday’s victory, SFA extends its impressive unbeaten streak in SLC play to 25 games, dating back to the start of the 2013 season.
The Ladyjacks finish their five-game homestand at 3-1-1 and will now venture on three straight road trips. Next Friday, the squad will play Lamar in Beaumont at 7 p.m. and will then travel to Lake Charles, Louisiana on Sunday for a date with McNeese State at 1 p.m.
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Sam Houston State 1, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 0
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Sam Houston State soccer’s Mariah Titus has been practicing penalty kicks since she was a kid, preparing for moments like Sunday afternoon. After being fouled in the box during the 55th minute, Titus immediately hopped up, and put the PK passed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi goalkeeper Megan Delaney for the difference in the 1-0 Bearkat victory.
The goal was the senior’s fifth of the season and moved Sam Houston to 5-4-1, including 2-1 in Southland Conference play. Meanwhile, the Bearkat defense held the Islanders (0-7-2, 0-2-1 SLC) to a season-low four shots including just two on goal.
The victory came after the Kats first quick turnaround in league play, and helped re-build the squad’s confidence after dropping a 1-0 decision to Houston Baptist on Friday night.
In the net, senior goalkeeper Magen Ross moved to 3-0 on the season in her first action since shutting out Prairie View A&M on Sept. 13. Ross has allowed just one goal while logging two shutouts this season.
Sam Houston took 13 shots, including five on goal, led by a trio of shots from Titus and senior Shelby McDaniel. Junior Maddy Panozzo and freshman Micaela Birt each added a shot on goal.
Sam Houston returns to play next weekend, beginning with a visit to McNeese State on Friday at 7 p.m. The Bearkats head to Lamar on Sunday for a 1 p.m. first kick against Lamar.
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Central Arkansas 6, Lamar 1
Conway, Ark. – The Central Arkansas women’s soccer team returned to the field today after a golden goal win in double overtime on Friday night. The Bears didn’t bother with overtime on Sunday, scoring early and often against Lamar en route to a 6-1 win.
Central Arkansas (5-6, 2-1 SLC) opened the match’s scoring in the 8th minute, when sophomore Alex Moore fired a corner kick into the box, where freshman Camille Bassett gathered it and tapped it home from four yards out.
Lamar (6-6, 2-1 SLC) responded almost immediately though, as MJ Eckart floated a free kick into the UCA box, where it found the head of Maria Lund, who knocked it in from five yards to even the score at 1-1 in the 9th minute.
The Bears retook the lead in the 29th minute, as freshman Ashley Smith collected a rebound and put it away from nine yards out to put the Bears in front 2-1.
That lead would hold until the 53rd minute, when Smith played a ball into the box for Bassett, who fired from eight yards out, putting the ball into the top-right corner of the net for her second score of the day.
Moore got in on the scoring just a minute later, collecting a ball from Smith and putting it away from 13 yards out to push the Central Arkansas lead to 4-1.
In the 71st minute, sophomore Dayna Mounie picked up a rebound and slammed it just inside the back post from five yards out to make it 5-1 Bears.
Autum Schwartz wrapped up the day’s scoring in the 79th minute, getting a pass from Mounie and tapping it home for her first collegiate goal.
On the day, the Bears put 18 shots on goal, compared to just five from the Cardinals. Junior Shelby Wilson led the way with four attempts on frame, while Bassett, Mounie, and Moore added three shots on goal. Smith was on target with two strikes, while Schwartz and sophomores Kara Borgstrom and Stacia Carroll each had one shot on goal. In goal for the Bears, Lauren Mercuri made four saves.
Central Arkansas is on the road for a pair of Southland matches next weekend. The Bears will play Incarnate Word at 7 p.m. on Friday before taking on Abilene Christian at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
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