Stephen F. Austin
Houston Baptist
Doyle Powers SFA Past HBU, 2-1
9/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SFA 2, Houston Baptist 1
SFA Soccer Field • Nacogdoches, Texas
Records: SFA (3-6-1, 2-0-1 SLC); HBU (4-3-1, 2-1-0 SLC)
Up Next: at Lamar (5-6-0, 2-1-0 SLC) • Friday, Oct. 2 • 7:00 p.m.
SFA 2, HBU 1 
Photo Gallery
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – To say that Amanda Doyle has been playing well over the last two weeks would be an immense understatement. The junior midfielder scored two more goals on Sunday afternoon, including the game winner in the final 10 minutes, to lift the Stephen F. Austin women’s soccer team over Houston Baptist 2-1 at SFA Soccer Field. The Ladyjacks improve to 2-0-1 in Southland Conference play and 3-6-1 overall with the victory.
“This was a massive result,” said head coach Wally Crittenden. “HBU is a very good team. They are having a good season and will be one of the top teams in the conference standings throughout the year. To be able to get three points at home is exciting. There were a lot of positives that we can take away from today. Some things and areas that we’ll tighten up and continue to improve on for sure, but we’re glad to be sitting with seven points out of a possible nine so far in conference.”
Doyle opened the scoring at the 31:04 mark. She received a beautiful cross from Bailey Bosley at the top of the box, used a touch to get one-on-one with the keeper and tucked the ball neatly inside the right post. Bosley’s long service from the right wing was perfectly placed and the subsequent assist marks the first of the freshman’s collegiate career.
Houston Baptist (4-3-1, 2-1-0 SLC) tied the game at 1-1 early in the second half but Doyle had the answer for the Ladyjacks late in the game. In the 81st minute, sophomore forward Hanna Barker drove down the left sideline and whistled a cross into the mix. Doyle outmuscled her defender to get on the end of Barker’s offering and blasted a header past the keeper to put SFA back on top 2-1.
The Ladyjacks would manage from there, fending off a few late attacks from the Huskies to preserve the victory.
Doyle’s two-goal performance on Sunday is her second straight multi-goal showing. She now has five goals on the year – all of which have come in the last three league contests. The Carrollton native boasts a conference-high 11 points and has been a part of each of SFA’s six goals in SLC play. She netted two and assisted on another in the Ladyjacks’ 3-0 win against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday night and put one away in the SLC opener against Northwestern State.
“Amanda has been tremendous for us,” said Crittenden. “As one of our captains, I think she’s been a great leader. She’s been resilient, she’s been a consistent threat in the attack and she has been working very hard defensively. To do all of that while scoring goals and getting points is very good. I’m excited for her as well as the entire team.”
In a back-and-forth battle, the Ladyjacks outshot the Huskies 15-11 but were outdone in shots on goal, 6-4. SFA held a 6-4 edge in corners taken when all was said and done.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Lillie Ehlert collected five saves in 90 minutes of work. The only blemish on the score sheet was the result of a nearly unstoppable goal by HBU. Jessa LeBlanc leveled the game in the 54th minute for the Huskies after getting to a rebound in the box, turning and placing the ball in the upper right corner.
With Sunday’s victory, SFA extends its impressive unbeaten streak in SLC play to 25 games, dating back to the start of the 2013 season.
The Ladyjacks finish their five-game homestand at 3-1-1 and will now venture on three straight road trips. Next Friday, the squad will play Lamar in Beaumont at 7:00 p.m. and will then travel to Lake Charles, Louisiana on Sunday for a date with McNeese State at 1:00 p.m.
-SFA-
