MOBILE, Ala. ? The University of South Alabama women’s soccer team posted a 2-1 win over Arkansas State Sunday afternoon at The Cage to improve to 4-6 overall and 2-0 in the conference. ASU drops to 0-9-1 and 0-2 in conference play.
The game got underway with dark skies and in the 9th minute, was suspended for 23 minutes by lightning. It is the third time this season the Jaguars have had a game delayed by lightning.
After the delay, the Indians got on the board first in the 21st minute as a cross from ASU’s Mary Geels found a wide-open Markie McRae who slid the ball past sophomore goalkeeper Kelsie Langford for the only score of the first half.
The Jaguars came out strong in the second half, out-shooting the Indians 10-3. In the 69th minute, a cross from sophomore Cortney Stewart found freshman Sam Stocker, who headed the ball past ASU goalkeeper Brielan Smiechowski, tying the game. The second assist went to freshman Amanda Douglas. Stocker’s goal was her sixth in three games.
South Alabama took the lead in the 86th minute as Stewart notched her first career goal with a 25 yard shot that slipped through the hands of Smiechowski.
Langford was solid in goal, collecting her 16th career win, as the Jags recorded a sweep in the opening weekend of conference play.
“It’s the only way that we could have started this weekend,” said head coach Mike Varga. “We really needed to get these two games, starting conference play and today wasn’t as pretty as I’d hoped it would be, but you battle through some and sometimes you have to win ugly.”
The Jaguars will be on the road at Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m. on Friday Sept. 29 and at Western Kentucky at 1 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 1.
