Sunday, September 24
Nacogdoches, Texas
1:00 p.m.
Stephen F. Austin
5-5
2
vs
0
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
4-4-1
1
2
F
AMCC
0
0
0
SFA
0
2
2
Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography
Pair of Second-Half Goals Lift Resurgent Ladyjacks to Win over Islanders, 2-0
9/24/2017 4:38:00 PM | Women's Soccer
'Jacks outshot the Islanders 16-9
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – For the Stephen F. Austin women's soccer team, a 2-0 win over Texas A & M Corpus Christi was more than just a notch in the win column. The match got them back to a winning record at home (3-2) this season as well as ended a scoring drought that stretched back two games. No part of Sunday's victory was easy, however, as the Islanders came into the contest hungry, confident and looking to steal a win in Nacogdoches.
Sunday's contest began with a scoreless first half, in which the teams accumulated similar shot totals (7-5), and were evenly matched throughout. A&M Corpus Christi came out in an uncommon formation to put pressure on SFA from the onset of the match, and forced the Ladyjacks to make adjustments to their own shape to counter.
"They came out with great energy, which we knew they were going to, and in a shape that they haven't spent much time in, a shape that they wanted to use to limit our possession", said SFA head coach Wally Crittenden. "It was a good test for us, we shifted our shape in the first half, and still didn't quite impose ourselves in the way we wanted. It wasn't until we shifted shape again in the second half that we were able to establish possession and keep the ball moving. That's when you start to see the ability to wear a team down."
For the home squad, the first decent look at goal came in the 14th minute, as Breanna Moore played in a service over top to a penetrating Hanna Barker, who struck volley at the goal that didn't quite had enough force to beat reigning Southland Conference Goalkeeper of the Week Abbie Flax.
Shortly thereafter, AMCC received a free kick from straightaway center, 20 yards out from goal after a Ladyjack foul. SFA goalkeeper Allyson Smith did an excellent job tracking the low shot through her wall of defenders and stretched out to make the save in the 20th minute to keep things level.
In the 39th minute, Kennedy Rose got a point blank shot at goal as a result of one of SFA's 11 corner kicks on the day, but her shot was blocked by the AMCC defense, which did their part to help Flax by blocking four shots in the contest. Despite both teams having good chances to break the scoring open in the first half, the halftime score would be level at 0-0 heading into the break, stretching SFA's scoring drought to five halves of play.
"We were a bit choppy on offense today still, but some of that had to do with their team and what they were doing against us", Crittenden said. "Our ability to shapeshift, possess and swing the field, and just to get around the edges was something that we were able to emphasize at the half and our kids executed that very well after that."
In the second half, the Ladyjacks began to impose themselves more on the visiting side, which would ultimately lead to a 9-4 advantage in second-half shots. The first of these came in the 51st minute, as freshman Katelyn Termini fired off a low shot which was saved by a sprawling Flax. In the 56th minute, Termini fired off a powerful shot from deep, but the attempt was blocked by an AMCC defender, and deflected up and over the Islanders goal. Flax would deny Barker on a shot in the 61st minute from close range, but the Ladyjacks were getting closer to the golden goal they needed, and would not be denied much longer.
In the 70th minute, the break finally came, as Mari Gillespie possessed the ball around midfield before passing the ball off to Barker, who had plenty of real estate to work with on the left side. Sprinting past the Islander's right back, Barker penetrated down the left side of the box, got the angle on her defender and fed the ball expertly into the box on the low cross. Classmate Madison Hall was there to finish the ball, as she one-touched it past Flax for the first goal of the contest.
Taking advantage of a tied AMCC backline, the Ladyjacks doubled up the lead in the 81st minute, thanks to one of the aforementioned corner kicks. Barker took the attempt from the left of goal, but fed a pass to a waiting Sophia Fondren along the right edge of the goal box instead of serving the ball in. Fondren dished the ball right back to Barker, now in the corner of the 18 yard box, who fired a high, arcing shot at goal as three defenders converged on her. The shot beat a leaping Flax for the 'Jack's second goal of the contest. From there, the Ladyjacks kept possession for much of the remaining time, and emerged with the clean sheet victory at home, an important result in Southland Conference play.
"We scored two really good goals today, good tactical goals that I was very pleased with", continued Crittenden." From a soccer standpoint, the buildup, the soccer and the possession has been pretty much on par with how we've been playing, but today the execution as there and we turned that into two good goals. The kids did what they needed to do today."
On the defensive end, the Ladyjacks were stalwart, yielding just nine shots total, three of which were blocked and three that were off-target. Smith was challenged just three times, and made the save in each occasion. By far, the largest improvement for the team was not giving up a single corner kick to the Islanders, after being hurt by set pieces in each of their past two matches.
"The big emphasis for us was not giving up corners, and we did that very well, giving up no corners", said Crittenden. "The emphasis has really just been 'keep playing the way you've been playing, execute in each box a little tighter' and the rest will fall into place the way you want it to, and that was evident today."
Now 2-1 in Southland Conference play, the Ladyjacks will face a pair of tough road tests in SLC leader McNeese and 7-3-1 Lamar this weekend.
Sunday's contest began with a scoreless first half, in which the teams accumulated similar shot totals (7-5), and were evenly matched throughout. A&M Corpus Christi came out in an uncommon formation to put pressure on SFA from the onset of the match, and forced the Ladyjacks to make adjustments to their own shape to counter.
"They came out with great energy, which we knew they were going to, and in a shape that they haven't spent much time in, a shape that they wanted to use to limit our possession", said SFA head coach Wally Crittenden. "It was a good test for us, we shifted our shape in the first half, and still didn't quite impose ourselves in the way we wanted. It wasn't until we shifted shape again in the second half that we were able to establish possession and keep the ball moving. That's when you start to see the ability to wear a team down."
For the home squad, the first decent look at goal came in the 14th minute, as Breanna Moore played in a service over top to a penetrating Hanna Barker, who struck volley at the goal that didn't quite had enough force to beat reigning Southland Conference Goalkeeper of the Week Abbie Flax.
Shortly thereafter, AMCC received a free kick from straightaway center, 20 yards out from goal after a Ladyjack foul. SFA goalkeeper Allyson Smith did an excellent job tracking the low shot through her wall of defenders and stretched out to make the save in the 20th minute to keep things level.
In the 39th minute, Kennedy Rose got a point blank shot at goal as a result of one of SFA's 11 corner kicks on the day, but her shot was blocked by the AMCC defense, which did their part to help Flax by blocking four shots in the contest. Despite both teams having good chances to break the scoring open in the first half, the halftime score would be level at 0-0 heading into the break, stretching SFA's scoring drought to five halves of play.
"We were a bit choppy on offense today still, but some of that had to do with their team and what they were doing against us", Crittenden said. "Our ability to shapeshift, possess and swing the field, and just to get around the edges was something that we were able to emphasize at the half and our kids executed that very well after that."
In the second half, the Ladyjacks began to impose themselves more on the visiting side, which would ultimately lead to a 9-4 advantage in second-half shots. The first of these came in the 51st minute, as freshman Katelyn Termini fired off a low shot which was saved by a sprawling Flax. In the 56th minute, Termini fired off a powerful shot from deep, but the attempt was blocked by an AMCC defender, and deflected up and over the Islanders goal. Flax would deny Barker on a shot in the 61st minute from close range, but the Ladyjacks were getting closer to the golden goal they needed, and would not be denied much longer.
In the 70th minute, the break finally came, as Mari Gillespie possessed the ball around midfield before passing the ball off to Barker, who had plenty of real estate to work with on the left side. Sprinting past the Islander's right back, Barker penetrated down the left side of the box, got the angle on her defender and fed the ball expertly into the box on the low cross. Classmate Madison Hall was there to finish the ball, as she one-touched it past Flax for the first goal of the contest.
Taking advantage of a tied AMCC backline, the Ladyjacks doubled up the lead in the 81st minute, thanks to one of the aforementioned corner kicks. Barker took the attempt from the left of goal, but fed a pass to a waiting Sophia Fondren along the right edge of the goal box instead of serving the ball in. Fondren dished the ball right back to Barker, now in the corner of the 18 yard box, who fired a high, arcing shot at goal as three defenders converged on her. The shot beat a leaping Flax for the 'Jack's second goal of the contest. From there, the Ladyjacks kept possession for much of the remaining time, and emerged with the clean sheet victory at home, an important result in Southland Conference play.
"We scored two really good goals today, good tactical goals that I was very pleased with", continued Crittenden." From a soccer standpoint, the buildup, the soccer and the possession has been pretty much on par with how we've been playing, but today the execution as there and we turned that into two good goals. The kids did what they needed to do today."
On the defensive end, the Ladyjacks were stalwart, yielding just nine shots total, three of which were blocked and three that were off-target. Smith was challenged just three times, and made the save in each occasion. By far, the largest improvement for the team was not giving up a single corner kick to the Islanders, after being hurt by set pieces in each of their past two matches.
"The big emphasis for us was not giving up corners, and we did that very well, giving up no corners", said Crittenden. "The emphasis has really just been 'keep playing the way you've been playing, execute in each box a little tighter' and the rest will fall into place the way you want it to, and that was evident today."
Now 2-1 in Southland Conference play, the Ladyjacks will face a pair of tough road tests in SLC leader McNeese and 7-3-1 Lamar this weekend.
Team Stats
AMCC
SFA
Goals
0
2
Shots
9
16
Shots on Goal
3
6
Saves
4
3
Corners
0
11
Fouls
11
8
Scoring Plays
Hall, Madison (3)
Assisted By: Barker, Hanna
23 pass from left into box, finish by 13
70:52
Barker, Hanna (4)
Assisted By: Fondren, Sophia
shot from right of goal to upper left co
81:32
Game Leaders
Shots
4
SOG
3
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's SoccerMF
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
MF
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