Ladyjacks Win on Senior Day
10/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 23, 2005
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks celebrated senior day the right way on Sunday, with a pair of seniors scoring goals in a 3-0 win over McNeese State that clenched a share of the Southland Conference soccer championship. Seniors Camren Norris and Kim Gray scored second-half goals for the Ladyjacks (13-3-0, 6-0-0) as SFA extended its winning streak to 10 matches and put the wraps on a perfect home schedule. The Ladyjacks were 7-0 at the SFA Intramural Complex this season.
Norris, Gray and the two other seniors on this year's squad -- goalkeeper Natascia Michalezki and midfielder Lauren Cummings -- were recognized in a brief ceremony before the contest.
After a scoreless first period, Norris got the Ladyjacks on the board just two minutes into the second half when she gathered a loose ball in the box and slipped a quick shot past McNeese goalkeeper Aubrey Ross. It was the first goal in a Ladyjack uniform for Norris, who transferred to SFA from the Naval Academy last season.
Gray's goal came in the 69th minute when she headed home a pass from sophomore Keyli Townsend to put the Ladyjacks ahead, 2-0. Townsend served a high ball toward the goal from 20 yards out, and Gray outjumped a defender to knock the ball past Ross. The goal was Gray's fifth of the season.
Freshman Amanda Alders scored three minutes later on a similar play. She put her head on a cross from junior Jill Robison to set the final score and extend her streak of matches with a goal. Alders, the conference's leading scorer, has now scored 14 goals this season and has had a goal in each of the Ladyjacks' last 10 matches.
Defensively, the Ladyjacks held McNeese State to just 11 shots -- five in the first half and six in the second. Michalezki recorded three saves in the match, pushing her season total to 81. She has now recorded nine shutouts and compiled a 12-3 record this season.
SFA will return to action Friday, Oct. 23, for the season finale against Louisiana-Monroe. The contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start in Monroe, La. The following weekend, the Ladyjacks will open play in the Southland Conference postseason tournament, with a berth in the NCAA Championships on the line.
-- SFA --
