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LU soccer edges UIW, 3-2

LU’s Esther Okoronkwo dribbles the ball during Sunday’s 3-2 edge of the University of the Incarnate Word at the LU Soccer Complex. Okoronkwo was responsible for LU’s comeback in the second half. UP photo by Cade Smith
LU’s Esther Okoronkwo dribbles the ball during Sunday’s 3-2 edge of the University of the Incarnate Word at the LU Soccer Complex. Okoronkwo was responsible for LU’s comeback in the second half. UP photo by Cade Smith

The Lady Cardinals soccer team defeated Southland Conference opponent the University of the Incarnate Word Lady Cardinals, 3-2, Sunday, at the LU Soccer Complex. Lamar runs their win streak to six games and are 10-6 (7-1 SLC). LU swept the weekend games, having defeated Abilene Christian, 6-4, Friday.

“This game was certainly not easy,” head coach Steve Holeman said. “In the first half we felt like we should have had two goals. Incarnate Word doesn’t give up a lot of goals and kept us off the board, they came back and took the lead.”

It didn’t take LU forward Lucy Ashworth long to making the first shot of the game. In the fifth minute, Ashworth took a free kick from 20 yards out that was saved by UIW goalkeeper Cailey Croson. In the eighth minute, Ashworth fired another shot, but it deflected off the crossbar. Forward Esther Okoronkwo, in the 10th minute, fired a shot from 10 yards out only for it to rebound off the top right corner of the frame, and Ashworth again fired a shot, but it drifted high thanks to a 20 mph wind.

In the 17th minute, Ashworth made use of the wind and took a free kick from the right side of the box that sailed over Croson’s hands for the first goal of the game. Two minutes later LU goalkeeper Erin Branch saved a shot from UIW forward Keeley Ayala. In the 21st minute, UIW midfielder Jade Piper managed to find a space in front of the goal in traffic on an assist from forward Brook Hanson to tie it up. In the 37th minute, Hanson fired a shot around Branch to put UIW up 2-1 at the end of the half.

“The thing we’ve learned this season is to never quit,” Holeman said. “We always fight to the very end and we proved that once again.”

In the second half, UIW switched their offense to an aggressive defense, leading the fouls 7-6 with four yellow cards. The first two yellow cards came in the 48th minute on defenders Taylor Husfield and Eve Clarkson. The remaining came in the 57th minute on midfielder Hannah Walsh and in the 58th on Hanson.

In the 86th minute, LU defender Kaisa Juvonen was given a straight red card after being judged to have kicked a player who was on the ground. After the sending off, Lamar rallied, and in the 87th minute, midfielder Juana Plata worked her way down the pitch into the attacking third and found Okoronkwo who scored the equalizer.

A minute later, Plata again found Okoronkwo in the box and she fired a shot into the goal to seal the victory for LU.

“I feel great and it was a team effort,” Okoronkwo said. “It wasn’t just one person — our whole team came together for the win.”

With the win on Friday, Lamar clinched a berth into the SLC Tournament in Conway, Ark., Nov. 6, and sit on top of the conference standings.

“That was never an objective of ours and was not in the discussion,” Holeman said. “I think the standard of this program is nice to part of the tournament. We want to compete for championships and that is just the first step in it.”

Category: Sports