Box Score
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The first-place and defending Southland Conference champions from Stephen F. Austin Sunday extended their winning streak to six matches following a 2-0 win over Abilene Christian at the SFA Soccer Field.
The win improved the Ladyjacks' season and conference records to 11-2-1 and 6-1, while the Wildcats fell to 11-3-1 and 5-3. SFA is tied with Southeastern Louisiana for first place in the Southland with 18 points, three points ahead of third-place Oral Roberts and ACU.
"I felt we held our own today against a very good team," said head coach
Casey Wilson. "All we can ask for in any game is that we get our chances, and today we had some good ones to score."
The Wildcats were credited with 10 shots and put four on frame, but the goalkeeping tandem of Lacey Lee and Morgan Glick saved them all in recording the team's 11th shutout in 14 matches.
Kelsie Roberts also had a shot blocked by a Ladyjack defender, while the Wildcats' defense blocked five of 26 attempts.
SFA fired 17 shots in the first half and went up 1-0 at the start of the seventh minute on just its third attempt – a header goal by Megan Dunnigan off Brenda Salazar's corner kick. The goal was Dunnigan's second of the year.
ACU goalkeeper
Kelsey Dombrowski continued to keep her team in the match with five saves spread out over the first half, but couldn't get a stop on a hot shot taken by Megan Wasiak from inside the goalmouth. Wasniak's goal came inside the 57th minute off an assist by Christie Hinojosa.
From there, both teams would only take 10 more shots over the final 30 minutes as each side had five.
ACU's best chance to get back in the game came in the 71st minute when Glick saved
Emily Sumrall's header off
Alyssa Gerner's corner kick. Roberts then fired two of her team-high three shots, but the first was blocked and the other saved by Glick.
Dombrowski's lone save of the second half came a few seconds later near the end of the 80th minute, finishing the match with six.
Neither side was able to get off a shot during the final 10 minutes.
The Wildcats return to action this weekend at home for matches vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Incarnate Word. Sunday's 1 p.m. match vs. the Cardinals will be the final home contest for the senior class of
Andrea Carpenter,
Jacey Ferrara,
Brie Buschman,
Ashley Craig and
Whitley Lindholm.
