Box Score
ABILENE –
Andrea Carpenter scored two goals,
Ashley Craig provided two assists, and the No. 4 Wildcats' season-opening unbeaten streak was extended to a 10th game following their 4-1 win over Texas A&M-Commerce Sunday afternoon at the Wildcat Soccer Pitch.
The victory improved ACU's season record to 9-0-1 and 5-0-1 in the Lone Star Conference, while Commerce dropped to 4-5-1 and 2-3-1. The Wildcats' current unbeaten streak now stands at 15 matches, which dates back to last season when the Lions were the last team to be them (1-0) on Oct. 29, 2010.
Commerce, however, had no answers today for an ACU offense that's averaging a conference-best 2.9 goals per match even though its defense was packed with four backs and five midfielders. The Wildcats countered the pressure by remaining patient on the attack and capitalized on several cross and fire shots in the 13th, 36th, 50th and 79th minutes.
ACU's four-goal effort was its fourth of the season as the Wildcats have scored two or more goals in all but one match.
"Commerce is a good team and they got off some good shots and played well," head coach
Casey Wilson said. "But we also had plenty of opportunities ... We took a step forward on finishing this week in turning it around in the second half, and got some great momentum to really put them away. If we can continue to get better at finishing the opportunities presented to us, that will be key for us all the way down the road."
Carpenter ignited the Wildcats' scoring run with a boot over the head of Commerce goalkeeper Randi Hafele, and then added her ninth goal of the season early in the second half. Both times Carpenter positioned herself squarely in the six-yard box to receive assists from the outside edges, first from
Whitley Lindholm and then from
Julie Coppedge.
Carpenter's two goals matched her season game high. She also buried two goals in Friday's win over Texas Woman's to finish with four for the weekend.
"Julie sent me the perfect ball and I was lucky enough to kick it in the right direction," Carpenter said. "In the locker room before the game we talked about how last year's game didn't have the outcome we wanted, and how we were going to come out hard because we didn't want to lose to them again."
Sophomore
Ashley Craig came off the bench to provide the remaining two assists. Craig first found the head of
Megan Turner, who butted the ball inside the far post to put ACU up 2-0, and late in the match she took the ball down to the end line before zipping a cross into
Krysta Grimm, who also beat the keeper with a header at the post.
Turner's goal was her second of the year and it was the sixth for Grimm. Craig's two-assist showing was the fourth recorded by a Wildcat this season, joining Grimm,
Ashley Holton and
Lyndsey Womack.
"We've been working a lot this year on getting the ball to our outside mids and play the balls in because we can't always force the ball up the middle of the field," Carpenter said, adding, "
Ashley Craig is doing a phenomenal job with her role and is playing lights out. Our outside mids are doing so well at getting the ball wide, up the field, and then crossing it in. That creates so many opportunities for our girls."
"Both Julie (Coppedge) and Ashley (Holton) do a great job of getting me the ball on the outside and thank goodness the forwards were there to finish," Craig said. "Friday's game was important, but this was the one we had circled on our schedule. We lost to Commerce last year, they're always physical. We knew coming in we were going to have to play hard or we weren't going to win. I learned through today's game that we can get through anything."
ACU's offense finished the match with 18 shots as Hafele was forced to make five saves. Wildcat goalkeeper
Elliott London improved to 8-0-0 with six saves, including a leaping stop in the corner off a shot by Brionna Minde.
Minde's shot was a near duplicate to the one she scored on the 40th minute that cut ACU's lead to 2-1 entering halftime. Stephanie Neeley assisted Minde on the 20-yard diagonal blast that hit the upper 90 under the far post.
Commerce fired 15 shots, including nine in the first half, and tied ACU in corner kicks at 4-4.
The Wildcats' five-match homestand continues Wednesday with a 4 p.m. contest vs. Midwestern State, which will be broadcast live via ACUSports.com and Yoe TV.
