Stephen F. Austin
Nicholls State
SFA Thumps Nicholls
10/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 5, 2008
THIBODAUX, La. - Five different Ladyjacks found the net in the first half, and the Stephen F. Austin soccer team cruised to a 6-1 victory at Nicholls Sunday, giving SFA its first three-game winning streak of the season.
Sophomore Kesia Broome posted two goals to lead the Ladyjacks in their second-highest team total of the season, as SFA improved to 5-5-0 overall and 2-0-0 in Southland Conference action. The Colonels fell to 2-9-0 with an 0-2-0 start to conference play.
"Everything was clicking for us in the first half," said SFA head coach George Van Linder. "I was glad to see we had five different scorers in the first half."
The Ladyjacks got on the board in the fourth minute, when junior Megan Cash scored her fourth goal of the year on a header with the assist going to senior Amanda Alders.
In the 19th minute, Alders again set things in motion when she made a run down the middle of the field and found Broome in the box for a goal that put SFA ahead, 2-0.
Senior Lauren Fricks took a feed from classmate Jessica Cotton on a set piece that began near midfield and put the ball in the net for her first goal of the year at the 33:59 mark.
The Ladyjacks went ahead, 4-0, five minutes later when junior Brenna Crockett sent a cross into the middle of the box that found freshman Katie O'Briant for her first goal of the year.
Crockett had the favor returned in the 43rd minute when Fricks hit her with a similar crossing pass that she converted for her fourth goal of the season, keeping pace with Cash for the team lead.
SFA went to halftime with a 5-0 lead after allowing just three shots on goal in the opening period.
The Colonels found the net in the 68th minute when Kaity Mattsson hammered home a rebound off a teammate's shot.
The Ladyjacks responded in the 84th minute to keep their five-goal cushion when Broome got her third goal of the year off an assist by Cash.
"In the second half we let up a little bit, and Nicholls didn't," Van Linder said. "We certainly have to do a better job of closing out games."
SFA finished with a 24-15 edge in shots and a 14-8 advantage in shots on goal. Sophomore Courtney Bauder (5-4-0) started and played the entire first half to take the win. She was credited with three saves. Junior Crystin Pactor played in net the second half and posted four saves with one goal allowed.
The Ladyjacks will resume SLC play this weekend, when they travel to Huntsville, Texas, to take on Sam Houston State. The game is set for a 7 p.m. start on Friday.
-- SFA --
