Ladyjacks Falter in Second Half, See Win Streak Snapped at UTEP, 2-1

Sunday, September 10

El Paso, TX

1:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

3-3

UTEP

3-5

SFA

UTEP

Ladyjacks Falter in Second Half, See Win Streak Snapped at UTEP, 2-1

9/10/2017 4:47:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

SFA outshot the Miners 16-13 in the loss

By: Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

EL PASO, Texas – The end of the first half of play in Sunday's women's soccer match between Stephen F. Austin and UTEP saw the Ladyjacks holding a 1-0 lead and a dominating edge in shots in the contest. A resurgent second half effort by the Miners led to two quick goals out of the break, however, and sent the Ladyjacks to their third loss of the season by a 2-1 final.

Miners forward Vic Bodhan scored a brace of goals for the Miners to nullify a first half scoring effort from SFA's Madison Hall in the 13^th minute of play.

"Overall I thought we played really well today", SFA head coach Wally Crittenden said. "In the first half, we outshot them 12-4, probably should've scored two or three more goals in the first half, and I think that would've extended the lead and probably iced the game. It was good soccer, good buildup and I think it was some of the best soccer we've played, which is an encouraging sign heading into conference play. In the second half, UTEP came out with a renewed energy and push that we expected them to, and you hope that you can weather that storm with a lead, but they got two goals in about 10 minutes in the second half."

The game began with both sides manufacturing early looks on goal, with Bodhan heading an attempt wide of frame on one end, and Hall forcing a UTEP save with a shot on the other in the fifth minute. In the 10^th minute, UTEP got a shot on frame of their own, which freshman goalkeeper Madeline Talbot corralled for the save.

Stephen F. Austin would strike in the 13^th minute of play, as Madison Hall led off the offensive chance with a corner kick, then took a pass from Hanna Barker inside the box and beat UTEP goalkeeper Alyssa Palacios with a powerful strike to put SFA up 1-0. Despite taking the lead, the Ladyjacks kept up the offensive pressure, and built up a 12-4 advantage in shots for the half.

In the second half, the Miners came out firing on all cylinders, erasing the deficit in shots from the first half with a barrage of six straight shots in the opening 13 minutes of play, four of which were on goal. Bodhan scored on two of those shots, finding an equalizer less than a minute into the half and striking again in the 57^th minute of the match. Her go-ahead goal to cap off the Miner barrage came four minutes before the first Ladyjack shot of the second half, a saved attempt from Mari Gillespie.

"I think the lessons that we take away from this are 'put a team away when you can put a team away', because if you have a lead then you know there's going to be a push in the second half and you need to be able to withstand it", Crittenden explained. "Losing this one stings, you want to win every game you play, but overall we're leaving here with some very positive indicators and on the heels of playing some very good soccer right now as we head into conference play."

The 'Jacks would tally three more shots in the second half, including a blocked shot by Sophie Fondren in the 65^th minute and a saved attempt by the freshman one minute later. A shot by Barker in the 71^st minute of play was the last that Stephen F. Austin would manage in the contest, and was blocked by the UTEP defense.

Talbot played 45 scoreless minutes in the first half, making two saves. Smith came on in the second half and made four saves.

Next up for the 'Jacks is a return to action at home against Northwestern State