MOMENT #4: LIONS' PENALTY KICK VICTORY OVER RAMBELLES IN LSC QUARTERS
The 2011-12 A&M-Commerce athletic season was filled with a number of impressive performance and memorable highlights achieved by the Lion student-athletes. To close out the athletic season, LionAthletics.com is looking back at the top-15 moments of the year, voted on by athletic administrators, media members and Lion fans. The moments will be revealed on Mondays and Thursdays, leading into the start of the 2012-13 A&M-Commerce athletic season.
A&M-Commerce vs. Angelo State Game Recap (November 3, 2011)
Coach Piper's Postgame Thoughts and Match-Clinching Kick (VIDEO)
COMMERCE, Texas – Women's soccer makes an appearance on the Top-15 countdown as the Lions' shootout victory over Angelo State in the 2011 Lone Star Conference quarterfinals check in at our fourth-ranked moment of the season.
The fourth-ranked Lions and the fifth-ranked Rambelles were squaring off for the third time in the 2011 season as A&M-Commerce had won the previous two meetings. The Lions edged out a 3-2 victory in San Angelo on September 23rd before dismantling Angelo State 5-1 off a hat trick from Brionna Minde on October 7th at Lion Soccer Field.
A&M-Commerce was making its ninth consecutive LSC Championships appearance and 12th under head coach Neil Piper but had not advanced past the quarterfinal round since making an appearance in the title game in 2008. After an even start to the match, Angelo State gained momentum before the half, sending a header into the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead into intermission.
But the Lions responded quickly in the second half as Cadie Annett answered just two minutes into the second, scoring off a feed from Minde in the 48th minute to knot the game at one.
A pair of saves from goalkeeper Randi Hafele midway through the second half kept the Rambelles off the board, leading up to a strong offensive spark by the Lions in the waning minutes of the second half. Jordan McCarty and Minde both put shots on goal in the final three minutes of regulation, but a pair of Angelo State saves kept the Lions off the scoreboard and forced overtime.
Neither team had many good opportunities in the overtime periods as the Rambelles tallied three shots compared to one for the Lions, but all of them sailed wide, forcing a shootout. Angelo State made their first attempt, followed by a made conversion by Brittni Ong. The Lions and Rambelles then both missed their second attempts before making the third. A save by Hafele on Angelo State's fourth shot proved to be huge, as Annett followed through on her attempt giving A&M-Commerce a 3-2 advantage following the first four rounds.
In the final round, Angelo State converted their attempt, knotting the penalty kicks a three apiece, setting up senior Devon Herrman for the potential game-winning attempt. Herrman beat Angelo State goalie Morgan Harrison with a shot into the lower lefthand corner, propelling A&M-Commerce into the semifinals.
A&M-Commerce would fall in the semis to eventual conference champion and second-ranked Abilene Christian 2-0, but it did little to dampen a productive year for the Lions. A&M-Commerce finished the year 8-9-3, just missing qualifying for the NCAA tournament but notching a handful of key wins, including a 1-0 victory over Dallas Baptist, an NCAA quarterfinalist.
A number of Lions were recognized for their play on the field as Minde, Herrman, Evan Stanberry and Jade Bell were named to the All-Lone Star Conference team with Minde picking up first team honors while Bell was named the LSC Freshman of the Year.
In addition, the Lions continued to excel in the classroom as well as five were named Capital One Academic All-District selections with Minde and Hafele named to the LSC All-Academic Team. The Lions were also recognized at the year-end A&M-Commerce All-Sports Banquet as the team with the highest cumulative GPA among all the Lions' 11 intercollegiate athletic teams.
A&M-Commerce Top-15 Moments Countdown Schedule
Moment #1 - Thursday, August 2
Moment #2 - Monday, July 30
Moment #3 - Thursday, July 26
Moment #4 - A&M-Commerce Takes Down Angelo State on Penalty Kicks in LSC Quarterfinals
Moment #5 - Pair of Lions Named Lone Star Conference Academic Players of the Year
Moment #6 - Marcus Graham Bursts into Lion Record Books on Senior Night
Moment #7 - Facing Match Point, Volleyball Rallies to Take Down Incarnate Word 3-2
Moment #8 - Chantry McMahan Finishes Second at LSC Golf Championships
Moment #9 - Men's Cross Country Ties Best Finish in Program History at LSC Championships
Moment #10 - Track and Field Notches A Pair of LSC Individual Champions
Moment #11 - Men's Basketball Wins Final Three Games to Qualify for LSC Tournament
Moment #12 - Football Takes to the Turf at Cowboys Stadium
Moment #13 - Pair of Men's Golfers Capture Individual Tournament Titles
Moment #14 - Women's Track and Field Sets Three School Records
Moment #15 - Women's Basketball Upsets Angelo State 64-61 in Season Finale
