ABILENE - Seniors
Sarah Schoch,
Taylor Brown and
Madison Brown all scored within a 13-minute window following a 70-minute weather delay, leading the Wildcats to a 3-0 victory over Wayland Baptist Friday evening at the Hardin-Simmons Soccer Complex.
Sophomore
Sydney Newton was credited with her second career complete-game shutout as she stopped two attempts on six shots faced. Newton didn't make her first stop until the 55th minute when she swatted a Jasmine Ortiz shot that nearly hooked inside the far post. The Wildcats then successfully defended one of two Pioneer corner kick attempts.
Wayland Baptist (0-1-1) again came close to breaking the shutout in the 74th minute, but one of the ACU defenders stepped up and blocked back Ortiz' attempt. A few seconds later Newton made her second and final save of the night, catching a shot taken by Katherine Teinert.
ACU was the aggressor for much of the match, but wouldn't get on the board until after action was stopped near the start of the 14th minute because of lighting and rain. Several minutes after play resumed, however, a Wayland Baptist foul committed deep in Wildcat territory led to a free kick taken by sophomore
Natalie Throneberry.
Positioning the ball approximately eight feet from the corner, Throneberry lofted a soft liner that Schoch headed perfectly over the crowd and to the left of WBU goalkeeper Bailey Stengler. The goal was ACU's first of the season after being shutout 1-0 last weekend by Tulsa and UTEP.
ACU (1-2) added to its advantage at the start of the 30th minute when
Taylor Brown collected a loose ball inside the six-yard box and blasted it past an out-of-position Stengler, who was on the ground with two other players.
Madison Brown then capitalized on a loose ball in the 37th minute, rifling a shot from about 12-yards away that snuck through Stengler's hands as she tried to make the save in the lower corner.
ACU went on to outshoot Wayland Baptist, 20-6, for the match and 10-4 in the second half. The significant lead also allowed head coach
Casey Wilson to use 15 substitutions.
Throneberry and
Taylor Brown led the Wildcats with three shots apiece.
Stengler made five saves in the losing effort.
The Wildcats return to action Sunday at Texas Wesleyan of the Sooner Athletic Conference. The match kicks off at 1 p.m. in Fort Worth and is the start of ACU's seven-match road trip, which runs through Sept. 21.
