DALLAS - The No. 24 Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team picked up a road win Monday night, defeating Dallas Baptist University 2-0. The Lions jumped out to a quick lead and scored an insurance goal late to get the victory.
 
The win was the sixth straight for the Lions. They are now 11-3-0 on the season. DBU falls to 7-5-2 on the year.
 
The Lions continue their three-match road trip on Friday as they are set to take on West Texas A&M at 7 p.m. in Canyon.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Junior Sophie Haywood scored the first goal of the game on a corner kick. She bent the ball all the way to the left side of the goal and it deflected off of the goalkeeper's hands and into the net. It was her third goal on the year.
- Freshman Kasey Sorbers scored the second goal of the game. It was her second goal in as many games and her third on the season. The goal came on the rebound of a free kick off of a yellow card.
- The Lions doubled up the Patriots, outshooting them 8-4 on goal.
- Sophomore Caitlin Duty pitched her fourth consecutive shutout and her eighth on the year. She had four saves in the game.
- Senior Savannah Grasser led the Lions with seven shots, four of which were on goal.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Early in the match, neither team gained dominant control of the ball. Both defenses were stingy, sending potential shots away before they could even be taken. The ball traded feet multiple times without a shot being taken.
 
It was the Lions who finally broke through the defense to have an opportunity. A quick steal led to a breakaway, forcing the Patriot defense to slide and kick the ball out of the back of the pitch. The Lions took advantage of the corner kick from the left side of the field. Haywood put a strong spin on the ball, bending it all the way across the goal. The ball ricocheted off the goalkeeper's hands and into the net to give A&M-Commerce a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute.
 
DBU had a chance of its own in the 15th minute. A player snuck the ball between two defenders and to shooter Enfinity Stephens, but Duty dove and secured the ball to keep the Patriots off the board.
 
The Lions began to control the ball more as the first half progressed. They had multiple shots on goal, but Patriot goalkeeper Hope Koym recovered from the early goal to keep the Lion attack at bay and keep her team in the game.
 
The Patriots began to dominate the ball in the latter part of the first half. They had multiple shots on goal but the Lion defense was tight, not allowing the Patriot strikers to hit the ball with power. Duty made easy work of the shots to keep A&M-Commerce on top.
 
The Lions had a chance late in the half. The Patriots fouled Grasser just outside the penalty area, resulting in a free kick. She was unable to curve the ball past the wall of defenders and it sailed wide left. The Lions took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
 
The Lions were again on the prowl to start the second half. They controlled the pace, pushing the ball deep into the Patriot zone on multiple occasions in the first 20 minutes of the second half. However, their attacks were turned away time and time again.
 
The Patriots were more methodical, slowing the pace of play and waiting for an opportunity to come. That opportunity came in the 70th minute. With some flashy footwork by McKenna Namken, she tried to sneak the ball past Duty. But her shot was again denied.
 
The Patriots began to up their tempo of play and their aggressiveness. With that aggression came a yellow card, as a Patriot defender took down sophomore Jessica Rogers in the 74th minute.
 
On the resulting free kick, just beyond the midfield line, senior Vicky Back rifled the ball toward the opposing goal. The ball took an awkward hop and hit off of the cross bar just beyond the reach of Koym. The ball landed softly five feet in front of the goal and right in the striking range of Sorbers. She promptly put the ball into the back of the net.
 
That put the game out of reach for the Patriots as the Lions turned down their aggression late to protect the lead.