First-Half Surge Lifts No. 2 Northwestern State Over No. 7 Sam Houston State
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CONWAY, Ark. – No. 2 Seed Northwestern State opened the 2019 Southland Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament with a 3-0 win over No. 7 Sam Houston State on Wednesday. It marked the first win for the Lady Demons at the tournament since the 2005 championship match.
The NSU back line, which garnered three all-conference selections and the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award, dazzled in the victory by holding the Bearkats to just seven shots and two on frame.
The Lady Demons wasted no time finding the back of the net as Jayden Wheeler put a ball into the box that found the inside of the back-side post and ricocheted in for the opening score just 59 seconds in.
In the 14
th minute, NSU doubled its lead on Karleigh Acosta’s first-career goal, collecting a rebound on Olivia Mattsson’s saved header and hammering it home to make it 2-0.
Just nine minutes later, Kalee Williams won a free ball from the keeper and took the ball to the middle of the 18-yard box, where she drilled a shot past the covering defender to extend the lead to 3-0.
Northwestern State will face the winner of No. 3 Abilene Christian and No. 6 McNeese at 4 p.m. Friday.