LAKE CHARLES, La. – Abilene Christian soccer team fell 3-0 to McNeese State Friday at Cowgirl Field. Senior forward Savannah LaRicci scored a hat trick within the first 20 minutes of the match to improve the Cowgirls to 10-3-1 overall and 6-1 Southland Conference. The Wildcats fell to 6-8 on the season, and 4-3 SLC.
"We had a few breakdowns at the start of the first half," head coach
Casey Wilson said. "That can't happen. Just like most games we had plenty of chances in front of the goal mouth but could not execute."
The Wildcats did their best to overcome the three-goal first deficit, outshooting the Cowgirls, 11-9, and taking four corner kicks but could get nothing past goalkeeper Emma Roccaforte, who made five saves in posting her sixthshutout of the fall. ACU's best chances to get on the board came in the 55th and 57th minutes off shot by freshman Isa Sanabria and senior Chantal Kinsey.
Sanabria and Kinsey each had two shots of the Wildcats' five shots on goal.
LaRicci scored her first goal in the sixth minute after chipping in a short pass from Nola Prickett in front of the goal. She then made it a 2-0 game in the 18th minute, heading in a cross from Gabi Dalesandro, and capped the scoring in the 20th minute with her 10th goal of the season.
From there, the Cowgirls packed it in on defense as the Wildcats limited the home team to only two shots and one corner kick throughout the second half.
Wilson and his crew look to bounce back Sunday at 1 p.m. when they match up against Lamar in Beaumont at the LU Soccer Complex. The Cardinals tonight were 1-0 winners over Incarnate Word to remain tied with McNeese for first place at 6-1.
