NEELY'S GOAL LIFTS LIONS TO A 1-0 VICTORY OVER WILDCATS
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian (3-7-1, 1-5-1 LSC) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A&M-Commerce (3-6-0, 2-4-1 LSC) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Scoring Summary | |
|---|---|
| 1st - 27:02 | Stephanie Neely (A&M-Commerce) |
| Abilene Christian | A&M-Commerce |
|---|---|
|
G:
N/A
A: N/A Sh: Andrea Carpenter - 3 Sv: Arielle Moncure - 8 |
G:
Stephanie Neely - 1
A: Brionna Minde - 1 Sh: Anitra Wright - 8 Sv: Tracey Rogers - 4 |
| TEAM STATISTICS | Abilene Christian | A&M-Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 11 (4) | 19 (9) |
| Saves | 8 | 4 |
| Fouls | 8 | 11 |
| Corner Kicks | 3 | 4 |
| Offsides | 0 | 2 |
A&M-Commerce 1, Abilene Christian 0
Location: Lion Soccer Field · Commerce, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (3-6-0, 2-4-0 LSC); Abilene Christian (3-7-1, 1-5-1 LSC)
Up Next: vs. Texas Woman's · Wednesday, Oct. 3 · 7 p.m. · Lion Soccer Field
COMMERCE, Texas – It took an extra day for A&M-Commerce to finally take the field against Abilene Christian, but it proved to be worth the wait. Sophomore Stephanie Neely notched her first goal of the season in the 28th minute and the Lions kept the reigning conference champions off the board to take a 1-0 decision at Lion Soccer Field.
Neely's goal came off a feed from junior Brionna Minde as she was able to beat three Abilene Christian defenders and goalkeeper Arielle Moncure, placing the ball into the left side of the net. It was Neely's second goal of her Lion career as both have come at crucial moments, netting the game-tying goal against Eastern New Mexico in 2011 with today's goal proving to be the game-winner.
It took an extra day to finally get the game in as two days of non-stop rain in northeast Texas left Lion Soccer Field unplayable Sunday afternoon. There were still patches of damp spots, but with temperatures in the low 80s and not a cloud in the sky, the field held up nicely for the Lone Star Conference showdown.
A&M-Commerce came out aggressive from the opening whistle, firing the first six shots of the game in the opening 17 minutes with Moncure notching four saves. 10 minutes later, Neely found the back of the net as the Lions outshot the Wildcats 12-6 in the opening stanza.
Abilene Christian came out the aggressor in the second half, firing four of the first five shots but were unable to beat the Lion defensive unit. Both teams had chances down the stretch, with both the Wildcats and Lions ratcheting up the intensity in the final 10 minutes. Abilene Christian had one final attempt to tie the match, but Krysta Grimm's shot was cradled by Tracey Rogers as the Lions were able to run out the clock to and preserve the victory.
Anitra Wright led the way for A&M-Commerce with eight shots on the afternoon with Minde adding five shots and Eva Brutto tallying three attempts. Rogers recorded four saves on the day, upping her season total to 38 while notching her second shutout of the season.
The victory snaps a four-game skid for A&M-Commerce on the season who notched a much-needed victory to remain in the hunt for the Lone Star Conference Championships. The Lions improve to 4-3 all-time against the Wildcats, snapping a two-game skid to Abilene Christian.
A&M-Commerce closes out its five-game homestand this Wednesday, welcoming Texas Woman's to Lion Soccer Field. The Pioneers are currently second in the Lone Star Conference standings, posting a 4-1-1 LSC mark while sitting at 5-3-2 overall. Opening kick is set for 7 p.m. with streaming video and live stats available at LionAthletics.com.
