Stephen F. Austin
Texas State
Ramirez Ices Senior Day Win
10/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 28, 2006
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Senior Andrea Ramirez scored the first goal of her career to seal Stephen F. Austin's 4-2 win over Texas State in Saturday's Senior Day finale. The win improves the Ladyjacks' record to 9-7-1 overall and 5-2-1 in Southland Conference play, while clinching at least the No. 3 seed in the upcoming SLC Tournament, with a shot at earning the No. 2 spot and a first-round bye.
Ramirez' score, in the 89th minute, was the lone Ladyjack goal in the second half and squashed any hopes of a Bobcat rally. Texas State had clawed back into contention with a pair of second-half goals after going to halftime down, 3-0. Ramirez scored with a powerful shot from the middle of the 12-yard box after sophomore midfielder Lauren Fricks centered the ball from the far right side.
The goal made for a nice farewell for Ramirez, playing in front of the home crowd for the last time. She began her Ladyjack career with back-to-back All-SLC honors in her freshman and sophomore seasons, before seeing her 2005 campaign cut short by injury. Ramirez was bitten by the injury bug again this season. Sunday's game was just the third one she's played in so far. Ramirez, along with classmates Mary Surkein, Jill Robison and Shahin Pabani, was honored in a brief ceremony preceding Sunday's game.
The Ladyjacks staked themselves to an early lead when Fricks scored the first of her two goals in the ninth minute. She took possession of the ball 25 yards from net and dribbled past Texas State goalkeeper Samantha Fraser before depositing the ball in an empty net.
SFA scored again, less than a minute later. Texas State penetrated deep into Ladyjack territory on its first possession after Fricks' goal, but the SFA defense turned the visitors away and cleared the ball. Sophomore forward Amanda Alders picked it up around midfield and outran the Texas State backs before winning a one-versus-one with Fraser on a low shot to the 'keeper's left. The score was Alders' team- and conference-leading 11th of the season.
Fricks scored again in the 31st minute when she arched a high shot from the right side near Texas State's end line over Fraser, off the left post and in. The goal was Fricks' seventh of the year and gave her a second multi-goal performance in as many games.
Down, but not out, Texas State answered late in the second half, when Reagan McNutt scored in the 73rd minute on an assist by Nicole Kinard. The Bobcats found the net again less than 10 minutes later, this time with Rikki Padia doing the honors unassisted. But that was as close as Texas State would come to upsetting the Ladyjacks.
Ladyjack goalkeeper Francesca Tierno picked up her sixth win of the year while recording five saves in 90 minutes of action. SFA outshot the Bobcats, 27-10, and posted 12 shots on goal to Texas State's seven. Texas State fell to 5-12-2 overall and 3-3-2 in SLC play.
The Ladyjacks' next action will come in next weekend's Southland Conference Tournament. As it stands, SFA is guaranteed at least the No. 3 seed. The Ladyjacks are currently second in the league points standings, but will have to wait for Sunday's make-up game between Southeastern Louisiana and Sam Houston State to determine final seeding. The Lions currently trail SFA by one point in the standings. A win would put Southeastern ahead of SFA as the No. 2 seed. A tie against the Bearkats would put SFA and Southeastern in a gridlock for the second spot, and a Southeastern loss would give the Ladyjacks the No. 2 seed outright. Southeastern and Sam Houston are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, in Huntsville, Texas.
-- SFA --
