The women’s soccer team scored four straight unanswered goals to claim its second win of the season and first win against conference. The 4-1 final moves ACU to 1-0-1 in conference and 2-6-2 overall, while the Colonels drop to 0-2 in the Southland and 2-5-1 overall.
“We were happy with the result, it was a good team win,” head coach Casey Wilson said. “They had a nice goal from long distance early in the first half, but the way we were playing prior to their goal led us to believe it was only a matter of time before we put one away.”
The Wildcats gave up the Colonels lone goal for the afternoon early in the game on a long shot from nearly 30 yards out that curved over the outstretched arms of a diving junior goal keeper Sydney Newton and found the back of the net in the 18th minute. ACU found the equalizer towards the end of the first half when freshman Dylan Owens took a pass across the middle from senior Lindsey Jones and had enough heat on the shot to get it past for the score.
Jones would find the back of the box for her third goal of the season on an assist from freshman Sophie Standifer in the 62nd minute to put ACU up 2-1. Owens would prove to be vital to the Wildcats in this one, setting up teammates freshman Chelsea Reedy on a put back off a rebounded shot in the 66th minute and Standifer in the 89th minute to finalize the 4-1 win.
“Owens really provided an offensive spark off the bench, first finishing Jones’ cross and then getting to the goalkeeper twice late to set up the scores,” Wilson said.
Owens finished the game with four points (one goal, two assists). She also led ACU with five shots, all coming on goal. Standifer tallied five shots as well in the Wildcats’ 20-shot attack, 15 coming on goal. Nicholls State finished the game with 13 shots and nine shots on goal.
Newton allowed one goal and registered eight saves against the Colonels. So far, she has put up a save percentage of .806 which ranks second in the Southland Conference and her 50 saves is good enough for fifth in the conference.
The Wildcats will take on Southeastern Louisiana (2-0, 7-1-1) Sunday at 1 p.m. in Hammond, Louisiana.
