Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston State
'Jacks Cash In
10/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 10, 2008
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Coming into Friday's Southland Conference showdown with Stephen F. Austin, the Sam Houston State soccer team had not surrendered a goal in seven games and 651 consecutive minutes. SFA made short work of that streak when junior Megan Cash found the back of the net in the fifth minute. Cash would score once more before the end of the half, and the Ladyjacks went on to end Sam Houston's seven-game win streak as well, taking a 2-1 victory in the battle for first place in the SLC.
The win moves SFA (6-5-0) above .500 for the first time this season and boosts the Ladyjacks to 3-0-0 in league action, leaving them as the only undefeated, untied squad in the conference. Sam Houston State falls to 7-3-0 overall and 2-1-0 in SLC action.
"This was a great character-building game," SFA head coach George Van Linder said. "It was frustrating that we had to hang on for dear life at the end, but the players pushed through."
After the teams traded a shot on goal each in the first three minutes, Cash got the Ladyjacks on the board early when she scored at the 4:26 mark. Senior Summer Bradfield set her up with a diagonal ball that bounced over the Sam Houston defender marking Cash. When the Bearkat 'keeper came out to play the ball, Cash headed it over her and in for the game's first goal.
The Bearkats responded with two shots on goal over the next 15 minutes, but SFA goalkeeper Courtney Bauder turned away both attempts.
After Sam Houston's fourth shot on goal of the half was denied by Bauder at the 28:16 mark, Cash put a second goal in the net, this one unassisted, though not scored without help. The play started with a pass from senior Amanda Alders to freshman Katie O'Briant. O'Briant floated a ball inside to sophomore Kesia Broome who headed it down toward the goal. The goalkeeper again came out to play the ball, but Cash beat her to the spot and put the ball in an empty net. The score gave SFA a 2-0 advantage and moved Cash further ahead in the team scoring race with six goals for the season.
The Bearkats earned their fourth corner kick opportunity of the half with four minutes to play but came away empty-handed, and SFA went to intermission with a comfortable 2-0 advantage.
The lead got a little less comfortable early in the second half. Sam Houston's Raquel Bueno scored unassisted at the 53:25 mark to make it a one-goal game with 36 minutes to play. But the Ladyjack defense tightened up, allowing just one shot for the balance of the half, and SFA was able to hold on for the win.
Bauder (6-4-0) finished with four saves in 90 minutes of action.
For the game, SFA tied the Bearkats with eight shots. Sam Houston finished with a 5-4 edge in shots on goal and an 8-5 advantage in corner kicks.
Cash's pair of goals mark her second multi-goal game of the season and the fourth multi-goal performance by a Ladyjack in the last four games.
The victory extended SFA's current win streak to a season-long four games, including three straight wins on the road. Before opening SLC play with a road win at Southeastern Louisiana, the Ladyjacks had been winless at 0-5-0 in away games this season. Friday's victory marks the first time in program history for SFA to open Southland play with three consecutive road wins.
The Ladyjacks will look to bring their solid SLC start home next weekend when they host a pair of games. SFA will entertain UTSA on Friday in a 7 p.m. contest, then take on Texas State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
-- SFA --
