ABILENE - Abilene Christian soccer scored three goals for the second time in three Southland Conference matches Friday afternoon at Shotwell Stadium, shutting out the Nicholls Colonels, 3-0, on just eight shots allowed.
The victory lifted ACU's overall season record to 5-6 and 2-1 vs. the Southland, while the Colonels fell to 5-5 and 1-2.
Today's match was one in which the Wildcats made the most of their second-chance opportunities.
In the 27th minute, the Wildcats' leading scorer
Baylee Mitchell tallied her sixth goal of the season (and fourth game-winner) off a cross sent into the goalmouth by freshman
Chloe Fifer. Nicholls' starting goalkeeper Taylor Mosley stepped forward to stop the ball but failed to get a good handle on it, which allowed Mitchell to one-time her shot into the back of an empty net.
All six of Mitchell's goals this fall have come off the bench. She currently is tied for third place in the league with Southeastern Louisiana's Maggie Ramsey and in sole possession of fifth place with 12 points.
Additionally, she is the first Wildcat other than all-America
Andrea Carpenter to score six or more times in a single season since Krysta Grimm (10) and Ashley Holton (6) did so during ACU's conference championship season of 2011.
The Wildcats went into the break with a 1-0 lead, which felt somewhat insurmountable based on how well their defense played in allowing only two first-half shots (one on goal). ACU went on to outshoot the Colonels for the match, 13-8, and allowed no corner kicks.
Junior
Lindsey Jones scored the first of two Wildcat insurance goals in the 60th minute after blasting a low line drive from about 10-12 yards away off the foot of a Nicholls' defender and past backup goalkeeper Josie Stiles. Jones' goal - her second of the year - came off a free kick and was assisted by
Leslie Snider.
The Wildcats made it a 3-0 match in the 82nd minute with Jones again in the thick of the action. The sequence started with freshman
Deonna Calhoun finding sophomore
Maria Gomez standing just outside the six-yard box, but Gomez' first attempt was blocked by a defender. Jones got to the rebound from the near side, but her shot also was stopped short of the goal line.
Gomez, however, continued to track the ball and rifled her second attempt right past Stiles for her first career goal.
Stiles finished the match with two saves and two goals allowed through the second half, while Mosley made three saves in the first half.
Kelsey Dombrowski started for the Wildcats and improved to 3-2 even though she was required to make only one save.
Sydney Newton relieved Dombrowski at the break and had three second-half saves, including one on a breakaway attempt by Lauren O'Brien in the 68th minute.
The Wildcats return to action Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium vs. the defending Southland Conference tournament champions from Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions are off to a 9-1 start.
