Lions Shutout McNeese State, 2-0
A goal in each half and strong defensive play led the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's soccer team to a 2-0 shutout victory over Southland Conference pre-season favorite McNeese State on Sunday afternoon.
The Lions (5-1-1) outshot the visiting Cowgirls by an 18-13 margin but both teams each got off nine shots on goal in the contest. A&M-Commerce freshman goalkeeper Randi Hafele made three saves in the first 45 minutes and junior Taylor Jordan made six more in the second half in the shutout win.
McNeese State (4-5) forward Kamryn
Koch, who had been involved in 13 of the 14 Cowgirls' goals, got
off a team-leading six shots but was held in check by
A&M-Commerce defender freshman defender Evan
Stanberry.
A&M-Commerce took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute when
junior Meagan Lasley had a breakaway down the middle of the field
that bounced over a Cowgirls' defender and fired a shot to the
lower right for her ninth goal of the season.
48 seconds into the second half back-to-back shots by Koch challenged Jordan, who had just entered the game at the start of the second half, to begin the second 45 minutes. Jordan and the Lions defense rose to the challenge, saving the shots.
Lasley was involved in the second goal on a centering pass to junior Whitney Hancock (pictured) at the top of the box. Hancock fired a shot to the back of the net for the insurance goal to put the Lions in front by the final 2-0 margin.
Next, the Lions begin Lone Star Conference play on Friday at 4 p.m. against Southwestern Oklahoma State at the A&M-Commerce Soccer Complex.
