Stephen F. Austin
Louisiana-Lafayette
SFA Knocks Off Louisiana-Lafayette
8/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 23, 2009
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LAFAYETTE, La. - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack soccer team got a pair of second-half goals from redshirt freshman Breanne Vernon Sunday to take a 3-1 win over Louisiana-Lafayette in the 2009 season opener. Vernon was making her debut in an SFA uniform. After signing with the team for the 2007 season, she missed each of the last two years due to injury.
The game was tied at one going to the half and stayed locked up deep into the second period. But Vernon notched her first goal in the 80th minute and added the final tally at the 83:24 mark. Both goals were unassisted.
"During halftime, Vernon spoke about how physical the game was," SFA head coach George Van Linder said. "We told her that scoring is the best way to deal with it. She came through."
The teams were whistled for six fouls apiece in the first half, but combined for just three fouls total after the break.
The Ladyjacks got on the board first, when junior Kim Kimmel scored in the 29th minute with an assist from freshman Kylie Louw.
The Ragin' Cajuns answered in the 38th minute when Courtney Hofland found the back of the net to tie the score.
That scoring strike was the only shot on goal faced by SFA's starting goalkeeper Courtney Bauder (1-0-0). Louisiana-Lafayette didn't find the target again until the 87th minute, and Bauder's replacement, Rachael Stelly kept that shot in front for the first save of her career.
At the other end of the field, SFA peppered the Cajun net with 25 shots, 12 of which were on goal.
"We're very proud of the players for winning on the road," Van Linder said. "We struggled at moments, but to struggle and win on the road isn't easy to do this early in the season."
With the win, SFA improves to 7-7-1 all-time in season openers. The Ladyjacks are now 3-5-0 all-time when opening the season on the road. Sunday's victory is the team's first season-opening road win since defeating Arkansas State, 1-0, in the 2001 opener.
The Ladyjacks used 10 bench players and made 19 substitutions in all, while the Cajuns burned just five reserves. The fresh legs paid off late, as 15 of SFA's 25 shots and seven of its 12 shots on goal were recorded in the second half.
"It looks as though our team depth is going to be valuable for us," Van Linder said. "Everyone was valuable today."
SFA will be back in action this weekend, when the Ladyjacks head to El Paso, Texas, to play in the UTEP Miner Classic. SFA will take on host UTEP Friday night in a 7:30 p.m. contest. The Ladyjacks are then scheduled to meet Utah State Sunday at 10 a.m.
GAME NOTES: Hofland's goal Sunday is the first given up by Bauder since she allowed a goal in the 57th minute of SFA's 1-0 loss to Texas State last season. She had played 561 minutes and 36 seconds in a stretch that covered five complete games -- two of which went to double-overtime -- without giving up a goal ... Vernon is the first Ladyjack freshman to score a goal in the season opener since Kelli Wilson did it as a true freshman in the 2007 debut ... Kimmel's goal in Sunday's opener is the second of her career ... dating to last season's 3-0 win at Central Arkansas, the Ladyjacks are on a six-game unbeaten streak and are 5-0-1 in their last six road contests ... four of SFA's starters Sunday were first-year Ladyjack players. Eleven first-year players, in all, entered the game for SFA.
-- SFA --
