COMMERCE – The No. 24 Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team scored an early goal and the defense clamped down to net the Lions a 1-0 win over Midwestern State University Friday night.
The win is the fifth straight for the Lions. Their winning streak started with a win at MSU on October 2. A&M-Commerce is now 10-3-0 overall and 7-1-0 in the Lone Star Conference. MSU falls to 7-4-2 on the year and 4-3-0 in LSC play.
The Lions will now take their winning ways on the road for three matches. Their next match is against Dallas Baptist on Monday at 7 p.m. at Patriot Soccer Field.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The lone goal in the game came from Lion midfielder
Kasey Sorbers in the 18th minute. It was her second goal on the season.
- A&M-Commerce outshot MSU 9-8, with six of those shots coming in the first half.
- Goalkeeper
Caitlin Duty had three saves to post her third consecutive shutout and her seventh overall.
- MSU was caught offside three times, one of which negated a goal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions dominated the ball in the first half, outshooting the Mustangs 6-2. The Lions had multiple opportunities for goals in the first half, capitalizing once. In the 18th minute, Sorbers was in the right position at the right time to sneak in a goal. After a blocked shot, she was there for the rebound and poked the ball into the net.
The Mustang goalkeeper denied any further damage, making two athletic saves, one on a header and another from close range to keep the match within reach.
The second half flipped the script of the game, with the Mustangs controlling the ball for the majority. MSU outshot the Lions 6-3 in the final 45 minutes. The Mustangs had two close-range chances to score, but Duty had quick reflexes and turned away both attempts.
The Mustangs turned up the heat in the final 10 minutes. Playing an aggressive style to get back into the match, MSU was called offside three times, one of which negated the tying goal. Duty also made both of her second half saves in the final eight minutes.
The final minutes of the game saw A&M-Commerce clamp down on defense. The Lions were quick to the ball and clogged the passing lanes to close out the Mustangs and notch their 10th win of the season.
