ABILENE - Abilene Christian soccer scored off two
Natalie Throneberry corner kicks in a 10-minute span and goalkeeper
Sydney Newton made five saves in leading the Wildcats to a 3-0 shutout victory vs. Houston Baptist Friday night at Elmer Gray Stadium.
ACU's win over HBU (5-7-1, 3-2-1) was its second straight in the series and lifted their overall and conference records to 5-7-2 and 4-1-1. The Wildcats now have sole possession of fourth place at the halfway point of the Southland Conference season, three points behind first-place Central Arkansas and two behind Northwestern State (5-1) and Stephen F. Austin (5-1). The Bears rallied in the second half Friday night to best the Ladyjacks, 2-1, while the Lady Demons topped Sam Houston State in overtime, 3-2.
ACU was an offensive aggressor right from the start in tonight's match and scored all three of its goals within a 10-minute window. The Wildcats fired eight corner kicks in the first half and scored their first goal on Throneberry's second attempt of the 15th minute.
Throneberry's first corner was headed high by senior defender
Kelsie Roberts, but just 20 seconds later, Throneberry was able to clear goalkeeper Katie Turner and find junior
Chantal Kinsey who flicked in her first goal of the season and third of her career. Kinsey's strike represented her first points since nailing a penalty kick last fall at Texas A&M.
The Wildcats made it a 2-0 game a mere 52 seconds later after junior midfielder
Chloe Fifer fired a 30-yard missile into the upper 90. Fifer accepted a pass from the near side, and then shook off a defender, which allowed for enough space to score her second goal of the season. She now leads the Wildcats with 11 points in addition to her seven assists.
Roberts may have missed on her first corner kick, but finished Throneberry's fifth corner kick at the end of the 25th minute for her third goal of the fall - all of which have come off CKs vs. Southland Conference opposition.
ACU finished the first half with 23 shots and nearly made it a 4-0 score in the closing minutes when a Sam Vestal point-blank shot hit the underneath of the crossbar. Turner also made four saves that half while four additional shots sailed either high or wide.
Alanis Guevara replaced Turner in goal to start the second half and made three saves in the 73rd, 80th and 85th minutes. ACU attempted only eight second-half shots and recorded just one corner kick to two for the Huskies, both of which were taken 24 seconds apart between the 86th and 87th minutes.
HBU didn't get off any shots following its corners and placed only two second-half shots on frame in the 59th and 81st minutes.
Newton's shutout was her second straight, fourth in conference play, and ninth complete-game shutout of her career as she lowered her goals-against average to 0.79.
The Wildcats are off Sunday and conclude their home schedule next weekend with matches Friday and Sunday vs. Lamar and McNeese.
