Sunday, October 11
Jags Up Win Streak to Six, Edges Texas State
MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama soccer team scored a pair of goals after halftime to rally for a 2-1 win over Texas State Sunday afternoon at The Cage.
The Jaguars improve to 11-2-1 overall and 5-0 in the Sun Belt Conference, and increase their win streak to six games. The Bobcats lose their third in a row to fall to 8-5 and 2-3.
"Texas State is a very good team," USA head coach Graham Winkworth said. "They were on a seven-match unbeaten streak going into last weekend, so they're very good. They came in here and worked their socks off. All credit to them, because they're unfortunate not to come away with anything today.
"The girls have showed a lot of character all season long; when we've played well or not played well, we've always showed a lot of character and worked our socks off in games when we've been down. We were down today and came back straightaway with a response and then we finished it off. I asked for more energy in the second half and they gave it to me, so I was pleased with them."
After an uneventful first half, it didn't take long for that to change. Just 12 seconds after the second-half whistle, Texas State turned a South Alabama turnover into a goal. Lynsey Curry converted the breakaway to put the Bobcats up 1-0.
It didn't take long for the Jaguars to answer. Less than two minutes later, sophomore Rio Hardy (Workington, England) put home a loose ball in front of the net after a free kick at the 46:58 mark.
The teams remained deadlocked until there were 11 minutes remaining in the contest. The Jags strung together several passes, and the final two from sophomores Ashlynn Jones (Pickerington, Ohio) and Sophie Haywood (Hull, England) found sophomore Danielle Henley (Hattiesburg, Miss.) down the right channel. Henley beat the Texas State goalkeeper to the left for the tiebreaking goal.
"For a game that wasn't one of our best performances, I thought that was one of the most attractive goals we've scored all season," Winkworth noted. "Some lovely football was played in creating that goal. We have some excellent technicians that are very good on the ball that created that chance, and it was a good finish. I was pleased for her and for the team."
The two teams combined for just six shots - only one on goal - before intermission but had 16 in the second half and all three goals. Shots ended up even at 11-11 with USA holding a 9-7 advantage in shots on target.
"I was a little disappointed because we put in one of our best performances of the season on Friday night, so to come out slow today was a bit disappointing," Winkworth said. "We were fortunate to come in 0-0 at halftime, but we defended well, which we've done most of the season, so I was pleased with that, then we came out and showed the energy that we've been looking for."
Jaguar junior Sarah Hay (Waxahachie, Texas) made four saves in net and allowed the one goal. The Bobcats' Caitlynn Rinehart had five stops and two goals allowed.
South Alabama returns to action Friday with a road tilt at Georgia State (6 p.m. CST).
Little Rock Closes Home Schedule with Tie versus UL Lafayette
LITTLE ROCK – Despite four shots on goal in the second overtime period, the Little Rock soccer team was unable to pull out a victory against Louisiana at the Coleman Sports & Recreation Complex.
Caitlyn Eddy's third-minute goal gave the Trojans an early lead, but the Cajuns tied the contest in the 60th minute as the teams settled for a 1-1 tie.
The Trojans (7-5-4, 2-1-3 Sun Belt Conference) have now tied three conference games and have gone to overtime four times since league play began. The Cajuns (8-6-2, 2-3-1) earned their first time of conference action.
The Trojans got off to a very fast start, with Eddy's goal coming 2:42 into the contest. Shannon Shields started the play by taking the ball down the left wing and into a dangerous spot. She cut the ball back across the middle of the field, and Eddy was there awaiting the pass. She fired her shot low and to the right, and Cossette Morche dove to slow to make the save.
The goal was Eddy's third of the year, and Shields' assist was her third as well.
For the rest of the half, Little Rock had several chances on goal while limiting the Cajuns' opportunities. At the break, the Trojans held a 10-3 edge in total shots, and Small only had to make two saves to keep Louisiana off the scoreboard.
The second half was played much more evenly, and Louisiana evened the score in the 60th minute. Taylor Kennedy played a long pass in the air from the midfield line to teammate Ashleigh Cade. Cade ran to the ball in stride, entered the penalty area and beat Trojan keeper Sara Small with the shot.
The Cajuns' goal broke a three-game shutout streak for Small and was the first goal she allowed in 375 minutes dating back to Sept. 27.
The second half save both teams take seven shots, and the Cajuns had three opportunities on the corner kick. But after Cade's strike, neither team could put another in the back of the net, and Little Rock was set for its sixth overtime game of the year.
Like four of the five before Sunday, this game was destined for a tie. Louisiana outshot the Trojans 3-2 in the first overtime before Little Rock took over in the second.
In the game's final 10 minutes, the team had seven total shots and four on goal, but Morche was equal to each of those shots.
Fali Garuba had a great breakaway opportunity on a Shields throw-in, but her shot did not have much behind it and Morche made a relatively easy save. In the 101st minute, Mikayla Uyokpeyi took a corner kick that resulted in a good luck for Quin Wilkes, but the sophomore's shot went wide. Morche also made saves on Bailey Fithian and Wilkes later in the overtime.
Six different Trojans played the entire 110 minutes: Small, Uyokpeyi, Wilkes, Fithian, Claire Palmer and Hali Long.
The Trojans finish the regular season with three consecutive games on the road, starting with a trip to Jonesboro on Friday for a date with Arkansas State. The Red Wolves and Trojans are set for a 3 p.m. kickoff.
Second Half Goals Lift Troy Past Appalachian State
TROY, Alabama – The Troy soccer team scored three second half goals to defeat Appalachian State, 3-0, on Sunday afternoon at the Troy Soccer Complex.
Jasmine Fahrnbauer scored her first goal of the year and the first of the match for Troy (11-3, 3-1 Sun Belt) via header in the 53rd minute off a corner kick from Kirsten Rendall. It was only one minute later when Alissa Jones fired a shot from 30 yards out that hit the left post and found the back of the net that gave the Trojans a 2-0 advantage.
“At halftime we talked about a little bit more energy and being opportunistic,” Jason Hamilton said. “We had some good looks in the first half; Abby had one at the end, Jasmine had one the keeper made a fantastic save on and Robyn had a couple”
Jones scored her second goal of the match in the 76th minute, when Chelsey Williams found Jones right at the 18-yard mark on the left side of the field. Jones placed the shot to the right side of the keeper for the final score of the match.
Mikki Lewis (9-3) picked up her ninth win and sixth shutout of the season. She had four saves in the match, two each half.
The Trojans fired 13 shots -- seven in the first half – with seven on target, compared to Appalachian State (6-5-3, 2-2-1 Sun Belt), who had seven shots, four on goal.
With Jones’ two-goal performance against the Mountaineers, the Trojans have had one player score multiple goals in six different matches this season.
The Trojans travel to Georgia to face Georgia Southern on Friday at 7 p.m. and Georgia State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
El-Shami's Hat Trick Hands the Eagles a 4-3 Win over Rival Georgia State
STATESBORO, Ga.- The Georgia Southern women's soccer team grabbed their third conference win of the season against in-state rival Georgia State at home on Sunday, winning 4-3. Senior Nora-El Shami tallied her second hat trick of the season to lead the Eagles to their first win over Georgia State since 2001.
MATCH FACTS
Georgia State- 8-3-3 (2-2-1)
Georgia Southern- 6-6-2 (3-1-1)
SCORING
2'- GS- Nora El-Shami sunk in her first goal of the game in a 1 v 1 with the goalie
12'- GAST- Lauren Harriman scored off of a pass from Suzanne Arafa at the top of the box
15' – GS- El-Shami headed in a cross from Renee Nance
36' – GAST- Caitlin Ray tallied her sixth goal of the season in the 18-yard box
77' – GS- Jennifer Wittick headed in a corner from El-Shami three yards from the goal
86- GAST- Ray converted another goal, this time off of Arafa's corner kick
86- GS- El-Shami nails a penalty kick into the back of the net with just over three minutes left in the game
WHAT COACH BRIAN DUNLEAVY SAID
On the strategy going into the game
"I think we wanted to get into the game quickly. The most important thing for us was to get into position where we could press them and score a goal, and we got the first goal by pressing them and winning the ball back. To be fair, Georgia State was really, really good. I think the areas where they were better than us was in the midfield where they were pressing us and winning the ball and putting our back four under pressure.
"The second half, what we really wanted (the Eagles) to do was connect more passes and not give (Georgia State) opportunities which I felt like the goals they scored were probably more of them doing a better job of making us make mistakes than them creating opportunities for themselves. They were a very good team I thought."
On his thought process during the series of goals at the end
"When they scored to make it 3-3 and it was under five minutes to go, a momentum swing usually happens, and it goes to the team who just tied it. If the game would've gone into overtime, the momentum might've stay their way, but I'm so proud of the response from our team after that goal to quickly get the ball and get forward. It was a great opportunity for us and it was a clear penalty, and we really took advantage of it. That's what a really good team does. I'm happy with that."
On the significance of this win
"With four games to go, we play two teams that are at the top of the table as well. This is a huge boost for us in terms of going into a really, really challenging weekend. It's a tough game for both teams in that there's so much that rides on this—in-state recruiting, there's players on their team who were a part of this program that transferred over there. Hopefully we can carry the momentum and feel good about ourselves into next weekend."
NEXT UP
The Eagles host Troy on Friday at 7 p.m. for the annual GATA game and host South Alabama at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Friday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
Seniors Power A-State to Win over Warhawks
JONESBORO, Ark. (10/11/15) – The Arkansas State women’s soccer team celebrated senior day with a 2-0 victory over Louisiana-Monroe Sunday afternoon at the A-State Soccer Park.
Senior Katey Carmichael scored a goal and assisted on another as the Red Wolves (3-11-1, 1-4-1 SBC) captured their first Sun Belt Conference victory of the season and kept their hopes alive of capturing one of the final spots in the SBC Tournament in the coming weeks.
Carmichael put A-State on the board on the 14th minute on a beautiful goal in the pace of play. Jordan Adams sent in a long ball from the midfield line that was collected by Katherine Padgett on the edge of the box. Padgett flicked the ball on to Carmichael in the middle of the box and the A-State senior put the shot with a strike into the upper right corner of the net.
The Red Wolves put the game away in the 87th minute when Tayler Carter scored her first collegiate goal from the middle of the box on a shot that beat ULM (6-10-1, 0-6-0 SBC) goalkeeper Brooke-Ly Scroggins. Carter collected a deflected ball off Carmichael that fell to her for a one-on-one look with the Arkansas State freshman and Warhawks goalkeeper.
“The first half was excellent for us,” A-State head soccer coach Brian Dooley said. “In the second half we held one well. The thing about one goal games is that you are just one mistake away from a tie game, but I thought we did what we needed to put the game away. I just know we are capable of doing more to put the game away earlier, but still a great performance today.”
A-State withstood a furious charge from ULM in the second half preserve its lead. The Warhawks took seven corner kicks to the Red Wolves’ one in the half and held a 9-4 edge in shots. Arkansas State was able to withstand the challenge thanks to strong play in goalkeeper from Amanda Lee and a senior heave defensive backline that included Jordan Adams and Loren Mitchell.
Lee made six saves on the afternoon and recorded her fourth career clean sheet. She also leads the Red Wolves with 46 saves on the year, a mark that ranks among the SBC’s best.
Adams picked up an assist on Carmichael’s goal in the, while Mitchell’s hustle on defense proved large when she saved three balls from going across the endline in the second half that would have resulted in corner kicks for ULM.
Jenna Duerst turned in a strong performance in the midfield and helped keep the Warhawks from possessing the ball in the open field and find channels to get good runs on goal.
“I wish I had more time with these seniors,” Dooley said. “They work had and it matters them. We’ve been in a lot of games and have scored first nine times this year so our record isn’t a fair representation of how we play. They are helping lay the foundation of what we hope will be a bright future for us.”
A-State will play its final home match of the 2015 season on Friday, Oct. 16 against Little Rock as the A-State Soccer Park. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.