Box Score
ABILENE - Less than two minutes after coming back from a prolonged rain delay, junior transfer
Emily Sumrall booted the game-winning goal in Abilene Christian's 2-1 victory over first-year program Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Friday at the Wildcat Soccer Pitch.
Sumrall's goal, which came in the 59th minute, was her third of the year and assisted by
Andrea Carpenter, who now has six assists on the season. And earlier in the match, it was Sumrall who fed Carpenter on her tenth goal of the season near the end of the 18th minute.
ACU head coach
Casey Wilson was clearly impressed with each strike, both of which involved a crisp pass from the outside followed by a solid finish from inside the penalty area.
"Those were the kind of the goals we were hoping to get against their goalkeeper (Audrey Baldwin), who we know is very talented," he said. "To come in the way we did and score on those opportunities was really impressive because she ended up with some nice saves."
Baldwin finished the match with seven stops on 20 shots faced, some of which were taken at point-blank range. She also caught two corner kicks in mid-air and benefited from some unlucky moments for the Wildcats, including a missed empty netter and three shots that hit either the crossbar or post.
Tonight's win lifted ACU's season and Southland Conference records to 12-3-1 and 6-3, while the Islanders dropped to 1-7.
Also dropping throughout the match was the temperature, which went from the low 70s at game time to the mid 40s following a 1 hour and 13 minute rain delay. The first lightning strike was detected at 5:17 p.m. and subsequent strikes in the area - along with a storm front coming up from the southwest - kept both teams and their fans off the field until 6:30 p.m.
The delay arrived less than three minutes after the Islanders tied the match on a fine header strike from inside the six-yard box by Kailyn Redona, who finished off the free kick taken by Meghan Cordero along the left flank.
The 5-foot-11 inch Redona was standing right in front of ACU goalkeeper
Sydney Newton as the ball began its descent and butted it in with ease, climbing over the rest of the crowd.
Newton and her defense were solid the rest of the match, however, as they allowed just three more Islander attempts, all of which sailed wide of the net. Newton was credited with three saves and the Islanders were held to just nine shots.
Brooke Erdmann led Corpus Christi with four shots, while Carpenter fired seven for the Wildcats with four on goal. ACU's
Jacey Ferrara put three of her five shots on frame, but all were saved by Baldwin.
The Wildcats return to action Sunday at 1 p.m. for a Senior Day match vs. their old rival Incarnate Word, which moved with ACU from the Lone Star Conference this summer into the Southland.
The six-woman senior class of
Brie Buschman, Carpenter,
Ashley Craig, Ferrara,
Katherine Garner and
Whitley Lindholm will be honored during a short pre-match ceremony. Together, this group helped the Wildcats collect more than 70 victories, win two Lone Star Conference Championships, and compete in five NCAA Tournament contests.
