Friday, October 27
Huntsville, TX
6:30 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
at
Sam Houston State
Ladyjacks Close Out Regular Season With Piney Woods Rivalry
10/25/2017 5:36:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SFA can clinch the #2 seed with a win and McNeese loss
Friday vs. Sam Houston State
6:30 p.m | Huntsville, Texas | Pritchett Field
Live stats | Video | Game Notes | 2017 Soccer Media Guide
6:30 p.m | Huntsville, Texas | Pritchett Field
Live stats | Video | Game Notes | 2017 Soccer Media Guide
NACOGDOCHES, Texas—The Stephen F. Austin women's soccer team has already clinched a berth in the 2017 Southland Conference Soccer Tournament, but make no mistake, the work is far from over for SFA. Sitting at 10-7 (7-3 SLC) on the season after a split last weekend, the Ladyjacks will face rival Sam Houston State in their final regular season contest with the number two seed in the conference tournament still very much up for grabs.
With conference leader Lamar and second place McNeese set to face off on Friday in a marquee matchup with the regular season title at stake, SFA stands to benefit from a McNeese loss, as it will pull equal in points and holds the tiebreaker due to a victory on September 29th. The scenario gives SFA added motivation to beat Sam Houston State (7-7-2, 4-4-2 SLC) in addition to an already exciting rivalry matchup.
"We're going to get their best shot, with very high emotion, just as we're pretty accustomed to", said SFA head coach Wally Crittenden. "With the rivalry piece and the added tournament seedings at stake, both teams will have a lot to play for. I think what will define the match is the rivalry and the result we had against them last year and them looking to respond. They'll be very organized, they are performing much better than they did last year and that will motivate them.
History is on SFA's side in the all-time series between the teams, with the Ladyjacks holding a commanding 14-3 edge in the series. One of the Bearkat's three victories came in the 2015 season, when they bested the Ladyjacks 1-0 in Huntsville. There would be no repeat of that result last season, however, as the Ladyjacks torched the Bearkats for a season-high six goals in a rout at SFA Soccer Field.
After capping off a season-high four game winning streak with a 4-0 victory at Incarnate Word last Friday, the Ladyjacks suffered a tough result against Abilene Christian on Sunday, falling 2-0 in an effort that can only be described as "uninspired". That unfortunate result in a winnable game is far more likely to motivate the Ladyjacks to continue the level of play that had been on display during the winning streak, as the team still has unfinished business on the horizon in the form of the conference tournament. SFA is 4-2 in games following a loss this season, with three of the four wins coming via shutout.
"It's very rare that we have had two competitively poor games back to back, and from an attitude and competitive mentality standpoint, I thoroughly expect our kids to be ready to play Friday night", said Crittenden.
In the team's past five games, the Ladyjacks have outscored their opponents 11-3 and registered three shutouts. Trailing only McNeese for fewest goals allowed in conference play, SFA has surrendered just seven goals in conference play, while shutting out six Southland opponents. A much improved squad from a year ago, Sam Houston State is fifth in that category, having yielded just 11 tallies to conference opponents this season.
After finishing the 2016 campaign with a 2-16-1 record and a 2-8-1 mark in conference play last season, the Bearkats have improved three-fold. Owners of a 7-7-2 record this season and a 4-4-2 mark in league play, the Bearkats have benefited greatly from the emergence of senior Beryl Smith and newcomer Carlota Suarez-Crespo, both of whom have tallied seven goals in the campaign, and are far and away the top options on offense for SHSU. In goal, the Bearkats have leaned heavily on junior Christina Hendershot, who has tallied a 1.62 GAA in 12 starts, recording three clean sheets and a save percentage of .747. After enduring a three-game losing streak to end September and open October, the Bearkats are undefeated in five matches, dating back to a 3-1 win over Northwestern State on October 6th.
-SFA-
With conference leader Lamar and second place McNeese set to face off on Friday in a marquee matchup with the regular season title at stake, SFA stands to benefit from a McNeese loss, as it will pull equal in points and holds the tiebreaker due to a victory on September 29th. The scenario gives SFA added motivation to beat Sam Houston State (7-7-2, 4-4-2 SLC) in addition to an already exciting rivalry matchup.
"We're going to get their best shot, with very high emotion, just as we're pretty accustomed to", said SFA head coach Wally Crittenden. "With the rivalry piece and the added tournament seedings at stake, both teams will have a lot to play for. I think what will define the match is the rivalry and the result we had against them last year and them looking to respond. They'll be very organized, they are performing much better than they did last year and that will motivate them.
History is on SFA's side in the all-time series between the teams, with the Ladyjacks holding a commanding 14-3 edge in the series. One of the Bearkat's three victories came in the 2015 season, when they bested the Ladyjacks 1-0 in Huntsville. There would be no repeat of that result last season, however, as the Ladyjacks torched the Bearkats for a season-high six goals in a rout at SFA Soccer Field.
After capping off a season-high four game winning streak with a 4-0 victory at Incarnate Word last Friday, the Ladyjacks suffered a tough result against Abilene Christian on Sunday, falling 2-0 in an effort that can only be described as "uninspired". That unfortunate result in a winnable game is far more likely to motivate the Ladyjacks to continue the level of play that had been on display during the winning streak, as the team still has unfinished business on the horizon in the form of the conference tournament. SFA is 4-2 in games following a loss this season, with three of the four wins coming via shutout.
"It's very rare that we have had two competitively poor games back to back, and from an attitude and competitive mentality standpoint, I thoroughly expect our kids to be ready to play Friday night", said Crittenden.
In the team's past five games, the Ladyjacks have outscored their opponents 11-3 and registered three shutouts. Trailing only McNeese for fewest goals allowed in conference play, SFA has surrendered just seven goals in conference play, while shutting out six Southland opponents. A much improved squad from a year ago, Sam Houston State is fifth in that category, having yielded just 11 tallies to conference opponents this season.
After finishing the 2016 campaign with a 2-16-1 record and a 2-8-1 mark in conference play last season, the Bearkats have improved three-fold. Owners of a 7-7-2 record this season and a 4-4-2 mark in league play, the Bearkats have benefited greatly from the emergence of senior Beryl Smith and newcomer Carlota Suarez-Crespo, both of whom have tallied seven goals in the campaign, and are far and away the top options on offense for SHSU. In goal, the Bearkats have leaned heavily on junior Christina Hendershot, who has tallied a 1.62 GAA in 12 starts, recording three clean sheets and a save percentage of .747. After enduring a three-game losing streak to end September and open October, the Bearkats are undefeated in five matches, dating back to a 3-1 win over Northwestern State on October 6th.
-SFA-
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