Ladyjacks Fall in Conference Tournament
11/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 4, 2005
NATCHITOCHES, La. - The best season in school history came to a disappointing end for the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack soccer team on Friday. The Ladyjacks fell to Sam Houston State, 3-1, in the semifinals of the Southland Conference Tournament at Northwestern State's Demon Soccer Complex.
The match opened on a promising note, with SFA scoring in the first four minutes. Freshman Amanda Lackey took possession in Bearkat territory and scored unassisted to put the Ladyjacks ahead, 1-0.
But Sam Houston answered in the 18th minute with a goal by Raquel Bueno to tie it. Bueno then found the net again 10 minutes later to put the Bearkats in the lead. Her first goal came on a penalty kick, the second via an assist from Victoria Gonzales. Gonzales scored a goal of her own with less than five minutes remaining in the first half to send Sam Houston to halftime with a 3-1 lead.
That margin proved too much for the Ladyjacks to overcome in the second half. Despite outshooting Sam Houston, 15-12, for the match, SFA could not build on Lackey's early goal.
The loss ends the Ladyjacks' school-record winning streak at 11 games. Coming into Friday's contest, SFA (14-4-0, 7-0-0) had not lost since Sept. 11. The defeat marks the second time in as many years that SFA has advanced to the conference tournament as the regular-season champion and No. 1 seed, only to fall short in the semifinals.
-- SFA --
