One goal is all it took to decide a winner in the Wildcats road game against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions in Hammond. A late goal in the 75th minute for the Lions was enough to keep SELU perfect in conference play at 3-0 and hand the Wildcats their first conference loss of the year. The Wildcats are now 2-1 all time against the Lions.
Junior Sydney Newton got the start in the box for ACU and collected six saves, including two in the final 5:30 of regulation, with the one goal allowed.
The game featured the top two goal keepers in the Southland Conference, as SELU all-conference netminder Hope Sabadash owns the best save percentage in the conference (.814), while Newton comes in at just a fraction below at .812. The shutout was Sabadash’s sixth of the season and she finished with just as many saves.
The Lions goal came in off of one of their many corner kicks and found the back of the net on a header right in front of the box.
The Wildcats gave up 12 shots, seven on goal, and also allowed nine corner kicks for the match. The offense mustered together eight shots with six coming on goal and just two corner kicks in the match.
“Sometimes it comes down to how many corner kicks you give up and we gave up one too many and they scored, ” head coach Casey Wilson said.
Both teams went into halftime scoreless, each having several opportunities to strike. The Wildcats recorded six of their eight shots in the first half, but couldn’t get anything past Sabadash and the Lions defense. SELU got free on a breakaway, but the shot ricocheted off the right post to keep SELU off the board. ACU nearly found the net later in the half, as freshman Dylan Owens had an open look from close range, but her shot banged off the cross bar to keep the match scoreless.
The Wildcats were able to limit one of the top shot producers in the conference (3.3 shots/game) in Maggie Ramsey to just one shot for the game. ACU however was limited themselves in the second half, producing just two shots. Owens and redshirt sophomore Kate Seay led the Wildcats with two shots each for the game.
After three conference matches yielding three different results, the Wildcats (2-7-2, 1-1-1) will welcome Northwestern State (3-5-2, 0-2-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. and then Central Arkansas (5-6, 2-1) Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
