DENTON, Texas - Abilene Christian ended a three-match shutout streak for North Texas six minutes into their match Sunday at the MG Soccer Complex and took a 2-0 lead by the 10th minute, but the defending Conference USA Champions responded with three goals within a 35-minute window and held off the Wildcats in a 3-2 victory.
North Texas remains undefeated on the season following its fourth-consecutive win, while the Wildcats remain in pursuit of their first triumph at 0-3-1.
The Wildcats grabbed their first lead of the fall at the start of the seventh minute when senior
Natalie Throneberry found classmate
Danielle Otto, and off a corner kick three minutes later, junior
Chloe Fifer's delivery found freshman
Shay Johnson for the second time this season. Fifer and Johnson also combined for a corner-kick goal in the home opener vs. UTSA on Aug. 19.
Otto's goal was her first of the season and second of her Wildcat career.
ACU held a 4-3 lead in shots following the Johnson strike, and had taken six attempts by the the 15th minute with a majority of them saved by North Texas' Brooke Bradley. But the Wildcats could only attempt one more shot during the final 30 minutes (Kelsey Roberts in the 37th minute) of the first half as North Texas readied its comeback.
The Mean Green cut ACU's lead in half in the 22nd minute on Lauryn Bruffet's blast over the head of goalkeeper
Sydney Newton, and tied the score at 2-2 three minutes into the second half when Anna Flobeck headed in Tori Phillips' free kick. Flobeck's goal was her third of the season.
Pressure from the North Texas offense resulted in four second-half corner kicks, the second of which led to the game-winner struck by Marchelle Davis in the 56th minute. Phillips dropped her corner kick inside the goal mouth, and after Katie Gernsbacher had her shot blocked, Davis punched in the rebound for her third goal of the fall.
"We played great at times today and had plenty of chances to score," said ACU head coach
Casey Wilson. "Unfortunately, we gave them one too many set-piece chances today and that proved to be the difference."
Each side recorded three more shots following the Davis goal with Newton stopping two as part of a six-save performance. For ACU,
Sophie Standifer had her shot from the top of the six-yard box blocked in the 69th minute, and both Otto and Fifer missed wide in the 84th and 90th minutes. Fifer was one of three Wildcats with a team-high two shots along with Johnson and Otto.
North Texas outshot ACU, 19-10, led by five shots each from Taylor Torres and Davis.
The Wildcats return to Elmer Gray Stadium Friday at 4 p.m. for their final non-conference home match vs. Prairie View A&M.
