ABILENE - A line drive corner kick by Krista Steinbeiser in the 38th minute that rattled the side netting was all the McNeese Cowgirls would need to escape Shotwell Stadium as 1-0 victors Sunday afternoon over the Abilene Christian Wildcats.
The win lifted the Cowgirls' season and Southland Conference records to 7-9-1 and 5-5, while the Wildcats saw their 2014 campaign end at 8-9-2 and 5-4-2. ACU has posted consecutive winning seasons against the Southland, and their overall losing record is only the third in team history dating back to 2007.
McNeese's corner kick was set up seconds prior to the goal after an attempt by Sierra Sisco was blocked out of bounds by an ACU defender. Steinbeiser then stepped into the near corner, and with a steady wind blowing in her favor, she scorched a laser shot over the top of several players - her teammates included - and into the netting just inside the far post.
Steinbeiser's goal was her third of the year.
ACU, which missed on a handful of close chances in the first half, including a crossbar and wide header shot by
Taylor Brown, had one last opportunity to tie the score following the score on a
Natalie Throneberry corner kick. But no shots were generated.
Then in the second half, with the 18 mile per hour wind at their backs the Wildcats outshot the Cowgirls 14-0 but couldn't get anything close to going in. Three of ACU's attempts were blocked by the defense and the McNeese goalkeeper Lauren Sestak made six saves - all of which came in the second half - in improving to 4-3.
ACU's
Kelsey Dombrowski, meanwhile, was forced to make only one save on 10 shots faced - and that was on an attempt by Tori Lasiter in the 18th minute.
The Wildcats had 17 shots altogether and eight corner kicks, five of which came during the final 45 minutes.
Redshirt freshman
Leslie Snider led the Wildcats with four shots.
Lindsey Jones and
Sarah Schoch each had three.
