ABILENE – Freshman
Ashley Stamps scored in the 81st minute, the defense continued their solid play, and the ACU soccer team picked up its first win of the conference season Friday night in a rain-filled affair with the Lions of Southeastern Louisiana University. The Wildcats improved to 6-3 overall and 1-1 in the Southland, while SLU drops to 4-3-1, and 1-1 in league play. ACU controlled the game in the second half to improve to 4-0 at Elmer Gray Stadium.
"It was a tough, hard-fought game on both sides tonight," said head coach
Casey Wilson. "Southeastern Louisiana is a solid team and we knew they were going to have a tight defense. The weather was a factor and we each had the driving wind and rain. It was a challenging night of soccer."
The weather played a key role all night long. Rain was projected in the forecast, and came down heavily throughout the game, especially in the opening half. The strong 15-mph wind was with the Lions in the first period, but the visitors were unable to take advantage of it. When ACU got the wind in the second half, they took advantage late with the lone score of the game.
Stamps scored her first career goal back on Sept. 2 against New Mexico State, a game-winner at the halftime buzzer. The rookie added a second game-winner to her résumé Friday night, scoring in the final 10 minutes of the match.
Teammate
Caity Acosta got the key play started with a throw in, and sent it to
Samantha Vestal, who got a shoulder on the ball. Vestal sent it ahead to
Christina Arteaga, and the sophomore took over from there.
Arteaga went one-on-one with the defender from the left side, and found a key spot in the middle of the field 23 yards away where Stamps was sitting. The San Antonio native used one touch to work around her defender, then launched a rocket off her left foot from outside the box that reached the back-left corner of the net for the score. SLU goalkeeper Nadine Maher just missed the ball, as it had an upward trajectory through the back of the goal.
"Ashley's ball was well-struck," said Wilson. "It was nice to see us use the wind and put one away."
The shot totals were lopsided for the second-straight game. ACU led 24-15, including an 8-5 advantage in shots placed on goal. However, the numbers did not change until the second period. Both teams tallied nine shots in the first half, despite the Wildcats having to go into the howling wind.
A 15-5 advantage in shots was the key in the final 45 minutes, and a 4-0 edge in corners helped guide the way offensively. The final tally was 7-2 ACU in corners, after a shallow 3-2 lead in the first period.
Arteaga led the offense with eight shot attempts, while junior
Brooke Lenz recorded a season-best six attempts. Vestal tallied four shots, and was a key player in the lone score of the night.
Sophomore
Erin Smith earned the win in net to improve to 2-1, and totaled five saves to bring her season total to 13. All five stops came in the first period, with Southeastern Louisiana having the wind at its back.
The Wildcats wrap their homestand Sunday afternoon with a matchup with the Colonels of Nichols University. Kickoff at Elmer Gray Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.
