Ladyjacks Stymie Sugar Bears in Conway, Prevail 1-0

Friday, October 6

Conway, AR

7:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

7-6-0, 4-2-0SLC

Central Arkansas

7-7-0, 4-2-0SLC

Stephen F. Austin

Central Arkansas

Ladyjacks Stymie Sugar Bears in Conway, Prevail 1-0

10/6/2017 9:32:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

SFA outshoots UCA 17-13

By: Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

CONWAY, Arkansas -- In the hit Bachmann-Turner Overdrive classic "Takin' Care of Business", the second line of the chorus states "takin' care of business (every way)". No phrase more aptly describes the Stephen F. Austin women's soccer team's 1-0 victory over Central Arkansas on Friday night in Conway. The Ladyjacks outclassed the Sugar Bears in all facets of the game en route to the shutout victory, which helped the team keep pace in a tight battle atop the league standings and improve to 7-6 overall (4-2 SLC).

Hanna Barker scored her sixth goal of the campaign (and second game-winner) in the 31st minute for the 'Jacks, as her free kick from the right side of the goal box hit off the defensive player wall and carried over the goalkeepers head into the net for the opening score of the match. That decisive strike proved to be all that SFA needed, as the team clamped down on the Central Arkansas offense en route to the shutout, the teams fifth this season.

"Central Arkansas is a great team, and its always a great game with them", said SFA head coach Wally Crittenden."Tonight I saw our kids play pretty consistent soccer without a lot of dips or changes in overall quality of play. Barker hit a very good free kick for a great goal, and we had a handful of other good buildups and opportunities to finish that their goalkeeper made some good saves on, so overall I feel very good with our offensive opportunities."

Despite the Ladyjacks controlling most of the possession in the first half, the Sugar Bears notched the first dangerous opportunity of the game in the 14th minute. A shot by UCA's Alex Moore was well placed, but SFA's Allyson Smith was up to the task, punching the attempt upward to the crossbar and deflecting it away. While she notched just two saves in the game, one in each half, both of Smith's saves were exceptional stops to dangerous chances by UCA.

In the 28th minute, Stephen F. Austin went on the offensive, as three players combined in the final third to set up Barker for an attempt from inside the goal box. Her low shot was mere inches away from a goal, as it carried to the right goalpost and was deflected away. Not to be deterred, the 'Jacks kept on the attack, and in the 30th minute a foul on UCA 25 yards out from goal resulted in a yellow card and a free kick for SFA. Barker's attempt on goal was well struck and got past UCA goalkeeper Lauren Mercuri to give SFA the edge.

A pair of attempts in the 39th and 40th minute nearly doubled the SFA lead, as Kennedy Rose's attempt on a corner kick service was high over the crossbar and Michaela Mencacci's close shot from eight yards away was denied by Mercuri less than a minute later. One final shot on goal by Lauren Hall was saved by Mercuri to close out the first half of play, with SFA nursing the one goal lead.

In the second half, the Ladyjacks prepared themselves for the expected surge from the Sugar Bears, and it took UCA just three minutes of the second half to form their second dangerous opportunity of the match. Camille Bassett, a 13-goal scorer for UCA in 2016, took possession of the ball and shed her defensive marks on the way to goal, a one on one matchup with Smith. Smith played the attempt perfectly, making a diving denial of Bassett's attempt to keep the score in SFA's for the second time in the match.

Both teams battled for the next twenty minutes of play, with each generating a fair share of attempts on the attack. SFA had several near misses in the second half as they tried to double up on their lead, including a long strike from Sophia Fondren and a headed attempt from Katie Jennings, both of which carried over the crossbar.

"The effort was tremendous, our sideline gave us some really great energy and our game plan was really good", said Crittenden. "Our appreciation for the stakes and the way we handled playing in this big game was exciting, and for these kids to do what they've done and to have the growth that they've had was excellent. We did a great job in not giving up a run of play goal yet again, and we stepped up on our defense of set pieces, which was really nice to see."

While the teams were relatively close in total shots (17-13), the Ladyjacks restricted the Sugar Bears to just two shots on goal, and thwarted numerous other attacking runs and services with solid defensive play. Without a Sunday matchup, the team will now have ample time to rest and prepare for next weekend's home matches with Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls.

-SFA-