Box Score | Postgame Interview and Highlights
ABILENE – Sophomore
Andrea Carpenter scored both Abilene Christian goals in its 2-0 win over Texas A&M-Commerce during the second of two Lone Star Conference Championship semifinal matches held Friday afternoon at the Wildcat Soccer Pitch.
Carpenter first headed in a redirected
Lexi Stirling corner kick in the 54th minute, and 25 minutes later punched in her own rebound after receiving a pass from
Julie Coppedge.
The goals were Carpenter's 13th and 14th of the year as the Wildcats improved to 18-0-1, sending them into Sunday's conference title match for the second straight year vs. Midwestern State. The Mustangs defeated West Texas A&M in overtime, 2-1, in Friday's first semifinal.
ACU has defeated Midwestern State over their last three meetings, including twice this year, after losing the first five.
“Midwestern is a tough team stacked with tremendous athletes,” head coach
Casey Wilson said. “We're healthy and ready to go so I'm expecting a great match against them Sunday.”
ACU and Commerce entered the break tied at 0-0, with the Wildcats repeatedly receiving strong looks at the net only to be denied six times by Lions' goalkeeper Randi Hafele. Commerce, meanwhile, fired six first-half shots, none of which challenged Wildcats' senior goalkeeper
Elliott London.
But within the opening minutes following halftime, ACU finally got one past Hafele on a jump ball within the six-yard box. The score was initiated by Stirling, whose lofted corner kick hit the middle of a scrum, where junior
Krysta Grimm first headed the ball upward. As the ball came back down, Carpenter was there to butt it into the near corner.
Both Grimm's and Stirling's assists were their fourth of the year.
Carpenter tied a season best with her second goal coming in the 79th minute. With Coppedge running down the near flank, Carpenter zipped up the seam to collect the pass in front of a defender and set up a one-vs.-one situation against Hafele.
Hafele stopped Carpenter's first attempt about 15-yards out, but couldn't hang onto the ball and Carpenter capitalized with an open look at the net.
The assist from Coppedge was her sixth of the season, tying sophomore
Ashley Craig for the team lead.
“Once Ashley (Holton) got the ball to me, I immediately started to look for Andrea because she told me at halftime that I could get a through-ball to her every time there,” Coppedge said. “And sure enough, I got her the ball right as she entered the top of the 18.”
“One of Andrea's best assets is her balance,” Wilson added. “Even though she gets knocked around a lot, she always manages to land on her feet. Commerce had a tough time containing her as she made a lot of runs up the gut today, and the midfielders fed her some good passes.”
Just as important as Carpenter's contributions to today's win was the overall play of the defense, which allowed only two of Commerce's 13 shots to reach London, and both of those saves didn't come until the closing minutes.
The Wildcats four backs and midfielders not only had success in clearing out the ball from their attacking third, including four corner kicks, but also in terms of possession that led to 21 shots (nine on goal).
“The defense played very well and held us up on offense,” Wilson said. “Everyone I thought had a great game, in particular
Brie Buschman, and we made some great decisions in staying patient on the attack.”
The Wildcats' shutout was their 11th of the season, besting last year's program record of 10.
Three Commerce players led their team with three shots apiece, including midfielder Devon Hermann who had two good looks at the net midway through the second half. Playing out wide, Hermann cut back inside the 18-yard box and had her first attempt blocked back by a Wildcat defender, and then her second shot sailed across the face of the goal before landing wide.
ACU's defense also stood tall in protecting the net after Commerce was given a direct kick from about 20-yards away.
Carpenter led all players with seven shots (six on goal), while Grimm and Craig each fired four.
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