Dallas, Texas – The A&M-Commerce soccer team punch its ticket into the NCAA Tournament with a 4-0 win over West Texas A&M to claim the program's second straight Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship Sunday afternoon.
Quotable"That was a tough one to lose. The players gave it everything they had. We really took the game to them in the second, half, but could not find the net. There was nothing more we could have done." – A&M-Commerce head coach
Neil Piper.
Turning PointLaya Rybick scored the game-winning goal for the Orediggers with 44:59 left in the second half.
Summary- Colorado Mines took an early 1-0 lead after an own goal on a ball loose in the six-yard box with 4:37 showing on the clock.
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Jade Bell tied the contest at one in the 17th minute when she blasted a ball headed out by
Delaney Bunselmeyer following a corner kick perfectly into the upper right hand corner of the goal just by the out stretched arms for the Orediggers' keeper.
- The Orediggers took a 2-1 when Brooke Stoermer brought the ball down the right side and connected with Acacia Ortiz in the box. Ortiz swung a pass across the mouth of the goal Laya Rybick for the goal.
- The Lions hit the crossbar with a header in the box and sent another header just high.
- A&M-Commerce had what would have been the game-tying goal erased with 1:30 left following a corner kick that was knocked in the goal, but the center referee blew the whistle for a foul prior to the goal.
Inside the Box Score- The Lions end their season at 133-6-2 overall after making their second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
- Bell's goal, her eighth of the season, moved the senior forward into a tie for eighth place with 30 career goals on the Lions all-time scoring list. She ties Baily Geels from 2004-07 and Tiffany Adams 2003-04.
- The goal gave Bell her 82nd career point moving her one spot ahead of teammate
Savannah Grasser for fifth place all-time.
- Bell ends her career tied for fifth in assists in her career with 22.
Upcoming- The team will be honored between the first and second quarter of the A&M-Commerce, Midwestern State football game Saturday, November 14 for making the NCAA Regional for the second straight season and for back-to-back Lone Star Conference titles.
Fans can follow all the action from the 2015-16 season on www.LionAthletics.com, through twitter @Lion_Athletics and also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LionsAthletics.
