Stephen F. Austin
McNeese State
SFA Advances to Championship Round of Southland Tournament
11/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 4, 2016
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Ladyjacks extend their season another game as they defeated the McNeese Cowgirls in the Southland Conference Tournament. SFA had four goals on the night from junior Hanna Barker, who leads the Ladyjacks with goals this season; sophomore Breanna Moore, her ninth of the season; redshirt junior Meghan Corder, her second; and junior Julianna Echavarry, also her second of the season. The Ladyjacks would take only eight shots compared to McNeese’s 13 shots, but SFA was quite efficient in making seven of those shots on goal and four through the net. Senior Lillie Ehlert would finish the night with sixes saves, over McNeese’s three saves. McNeese also had five corner kicks on SFA’s four corner kicks.
“A credit to McNeese as they were really good today,” said Head Coach Wally Crittenden. “They challenged us and demanded our best of all 90 minutes. I am really proud or our kids and how they responded to giving up the early goal. This is a mature group that has proven to have high competitive character time and time again.”
Ladyjacks was the first team to strike in the semifinal round of the tournament on a shot from senior Kelly Ann Craig in the second minute of play. Senior Amanda Doyle had the second shot for the Ladyjacks forcing the McNeese goalie to make her first save of the evening at the 8:20 minute mark. The Cowgirls would be the first of the board however, with a hard shot from thirty yards out that was just out reach of Ehlert. SFA would attack the net two more times before Moore would use some fancy foot work to a left footed kick into the back of the net at the 31:42 minute mark. McNeese then, went on the attack but the SFA defense cleared away both shots. Corder would receive her second goal of the season from an offensive attack down at the net. She got a knee on the ball from the volley that sent it through the right side. The Ladyjacks would come right back with at it a minute later with another goal by Barker, her tenth of the season.
After the intermission, the ball would stay around the midfield. Ehlert would gather her third save of the evening in the 50th minute off a good look from McNeese. The Ladyjacks would receive an offsides call which would give the Cowgirls a free kick, which they would turn into a header shot that Ehlert would cradle. SFA would create a corner kick opportunity in the 70th minute. Freshman Carli Arthurs would take the corner and place it right into the head of Echavarry. She would redirect the ball into the lower left corner for a fourth SFA goal. The SFA defense would take over for the rest of the second half, and manage the game. McNeese would crawl their way into another goal in the last seconds but the effort would only cut the score 4-2. The Ladyjacks would take the semifinal round of the Southland Tournament play.
“We will address a couple key areas for us to improve in moving forward in preparation for the championship game on Sunday. I expect our kids will be rested and ready to go for a title,” finished Crittenden.
The Ladyjacks will advance in the Southland Tournament in to the Championship round on Sunday afternoon. They will play with winner of tonight’s game: No. 1 Central Arkansas or No. 4 Houston Baptist. Opening kick will be at 1:05 p.m. CT here in Corpus Christi. The game will be live streamed on ESPN3.
-SFA-
