MONROE, LA – The Lady Lions improve their record to 5-2-0 with a 2-1 victory over the Lady Warhawks of the University of Louisiana – Monroe today. This afternoon's victory marks yet another historical feat for the Lady Lions as this is the first time the soccer program has recorded a win versus ULM soccer. It is also the first time that the Lady Lions have won 5 out-of-conference games.
The Lady Lions came out with a strong first half and tallied two goals before half-time. At the 12th minute junior midfielder Rachel Harker passed a perfect ball through the Warhawks' defensive line to junior forward Nicole Parks-Powell who finished a one-time shot on goal. Parks-Powell now leads the SWAC in goals with seven.
The Lady Lions scored again at the 36th minute when Harker, with her second assist of the game, passed a through ball from midfield to Silvia Fuentes who shot the ball past Warhawks goalkeeper Alex Holland. Fuentes leads the SWAC in points with seventeen. Harker is now second in SWAC in assists behind only to Fuentes.
At the 65th minute ULM forward Megan Lindholm was able to capitalize on a scoring opportunity. UAPB had many chances on goal but was not able to get that important third goal to seal the win. Both teams tied in shots in the second half with five-a-piece.
The tempo of the game continued to be high-paced and full of emotion. The Lady Lions were able to fend off the Lady Warhawks and secure the history-making victory.
“The girls had a great start today. I told them at half-time that a 2-0 lead is a scary lead to have going into the second half because the other team can gain momentum if they get a goal. That's exactly what happened to us today. ULM came out hard in the second half and they capitalized on their opportunity. Good teams will do that to you. But the girls kept digging and we were able to get the win. A positive thing about today is that the girls experienced a tough game against a team that was coming at them hard. I am proud of the way they fought for today's win. It feels good to have two straight wins over competitive mid-major schools,” said Mazza.
The Lady Lions travel to Conway, AR Friday to play the University of Central Arkansas at 4PM.
