Stephen F. Austin
Southeastern Louisiana
SFA Opens League Play With Win
10/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 3, 2008
HAMMOND, La. - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack soccer team opened Southland Conference play Friday with a 1-0 win at Southeastern Louisiana. The victory got SFA out to a solid start in defense of its 2007 SLC championship and gave the Ladyjacks their first road win of the season.
SFA improved to 4-5-0 on the season on the strength of Amanda Lackey's first-half goal. The Lions suffered just their second defeat of the year in falling to 6-2-1.
The Ladyjacks opened quickly, as junior Megan Cash posted a shot on goal in the opening minute. Following a corner kick in the 21st minute, Lackey took aim but her shot was controlled by Southeastern goalkeeper Lacey Bockhaus.
Cash hit the crossbar five minutes later then fired another shot on goal in the 37th minute, but the Ladyjacks remained locked in a scoreless tie.
Lackey would break the gridlock seven minutes later, when she scored her second goal of the season. The play started with a throw-in by freshman Edwina Forbes. Junior Brenna Crockett flicked Forbes' throw toward the net, where Lackey was waiting just outside the six-yard box. She took the pass on one bounce and punched a shot past Bockhaus to give SFA a 1-0 lead at the 43:55 mark.
The period ended just over a minute later. SFA held an 8-3 edge in shots at the break. The Ladyjacks took four shots on goal in the opening half to one by Southeastern. Each team earned one corner kick in the first half.
The Lions redoubled their effort in the second period and were able to apply some pressure in the SFA defensive third of the field. Southeastern set up four corner opportunities after halftime and outshot the Ladyjacks, 5-1, in the second period.
But SFA 'keeper Courtney Bauder (4-4-0) was there to collect the one shot on goal the Lions mustered in the second half, and the Ladyjacks made Lackey's goal stand up. Bauder finished with two saves in 90 minutes of labor.
"It wasn't the prettiest game in the world, however credit Southeastern for making it very tough to play," SFA head coach George Van Linder said. "For our first road win of the year, I am very proud of the team. They did a great job."
The road victory is the first for the Ladyjacks since taking a 3-0 verdict at Lamar last October. SFA was 0-5-0 in road games this season coming into Friday's contest.
The win extended the Ladyjacks' streak of consecutive victories in Southland Conference openers to seven games. SFA hasn't dropped an SLC opener since a 4-3 loss at McNeese State in 2003.
The Ladyjacks will continue their conference-opening road trip Sunday afternoon when they take on Nicholls. The game against the Colonels is set for a 1 p.m. start in Thibodaux, La.
-- SFA --
