ACU soccer suffers first home loss in 1-0 defeat to Oral Roberts

Sunday, October 6

Wildcat Soccer Pitch

1 p.m.

Abilene Christian

10-2-1, 4-2-0SLC

Oral Roberts

9-3-0, 4-1-0SLC

Oral Roberts

Abilene Christian

Photo by: Gary Rhodes

ACU soccer suffers first home loss in 1-0 defeat to Oral Roberts

10/6/2013 3:56:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

ABILENE – Kayla Keller's redirection of a Megan Giles shot from inside the six-yard box held up as the game-winner in Oral Roberts' 1-0 victory over Abilene Christian Sunday afternoon at the Wildcat Soccer Pitch. Keller's sixth goal of the season came in the 57th minute.

The loss was ACU's first at home through five matches and dropped the Wildcats to 10-2-1 overall and 4-2 within the Southland Conference. ORU, which lost Friday at Incarnate Word, improved to 9-3 and 4-1.

ACU's offense fired 16 shots, but only put five on frame as the Golden Eagle defenders consistently applied pressure onto primary attackers Andrea Carpenter and Natalie Throneberry. Carpenter was especially frustrated in the second half after one of her headers was picked off by ORU goalkeeper Maddie Rhodes. She later sailed another shot high after beating Rhodes to a 50/50 ball inside the penalty area.

Rhodes also caught a pair of shots off the head of Whitley Lindholm and denied a hard-angle shot by Throneberry taken inside the 83rd minute to become the first goalkeeper this season to shut out the Wildcats. ACU hadn't been blanked during the regular season since Oct. 12 of last year by Angelo State.

Oral Roberts attempted 20 shots but ACU freshman goalkeeper Kelsey Dombrowski kept her team in the match with a season-high nine saves, three of which came as the Golden Eagles were looking to pad their lead. Dombrowski's finest stop was a diving effort in the 74th minute just after ORU attempted a corner kick; she then caught Maria Stordahl's header with just under seven minutes remaining.

The Golden Eagles took five corner kicks in the match, while ACU was given three.

The Wildcats return to action next Friday and Sunday with road matches at Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin. Game times are 7 and 1 p.m.