SAN MARCOS, Texas – University of South Alabama senior Rio Hardy recorded a brace and set a new school record for game-winning goals to lead the Jaguars to a 2-0 victory over Texas State Sunday afternoon at the Bobcat Soccer Complex.

The Jags, who have one game remaining, clinch at least a share of the Sun Belt Conference title, and improve to 10-5-1 overall and 8-1 conference play. The Bobcats drop to 10-5-1 and 8-2.

GAME FACTS
- USA outshot TXST 21-9 on the day and held a 12-0 advantage in shots on goal
- Hardy scored her first from about eight yards out at 27:39 on a short cross from freshman Selma Björgvinsdóttir
- That goal is Hardy's 12th game-winning goal in her career, breaking a tie with Cindy Rainville (1998-01)
- A minute and a half before her goal, Hardy broke free but her shot was saved by a diving Heather Martin
- At halftime, the Jaguars had put seven of their eight shots on goal, with Hardy putting four of her five attempts on net
- Ten of South Alabama's first 11 shots hit the target
- Hardy doubled USA's advantage in the 71st minute on another breakaway, slotting it home into the right corner
- The Bobcats got off the next three shots, including one that hit the post
- Martin made 10 stops for Texas State; South Alabama goalkeeper Justice Stanford was not credited with a save but recorded her fourth clean sheet of the season

NOTES
- The Jaguars are level on points with the Bobcats, but while Texas State's regular season is complete, South Alabama has a game left against Little Rock on Friday
- The victory snaps a seven-game win streak for Texas State that was the longest active run in the Sun Belt
- The Bobcats were leading the league in both scoring and goals against average coming into the game, and were averaging 3.7 goals in its previous five outings
- Hardy has tied her career high with 12 goals this season and has a personal-best five game-winning goals
- The last USA opponent to record zero shots on goal was Arkansas State last season
- Stanford is now alone in sixth place at South Alabama with 14 career shutouts
- South Alabama is now 5-0-1 all-time against Texas State
- The Jaguars have outshot their opponent 13 times in their last 14 outings
- South Alabama has won its last five games on the road after starting out 0-2-1
- The Jaguars are 37-6-2 in conference games in the last five seasons

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Richard Moodie
Overall thoughts: "Texas State is a great team and is well coached. Kat (Conner) has done a great job with them, but truthfully, I think the best team won today. Make no mistake, we don't want to share it with anybody. We want to go home on Friday and try to finish this thing off."

On the defense's performance: "They don't get enough recognition, but I think this was maybe our best performance defensively as a team, collectively as 11 players. As a back four unit and a goalkeeper, it was their best performance. We still have some work to do – they had a really good chance that came off the post – but in the heat of the game, we were able to adapt and do well. I'm really proud of the team effort defensively, but as a back four and the goalkeeper, that was perhaps our best performance yet."

On Rio Hardy's performance: "I think the way we play favors her now. Maybe the way we played last year didn't suit her but suited other players. The system, the way we play, with the players that are around her, allow her to be great. She's a phenomenal player, but the players around her, the deliveries, the work benefit her. I feel like we've maximized Rio Hardy this year. She broke the school record and we're proud of her, but she has plenty more goals to score for this team this year."

On how the offense played as a group: "The biggest thing was, we looked back at Arkansas State, a game that will haunt us, to have 33 chances and not score, we started talking about the quality of the moment. I think we were a little more patient. We took some chances that weren't half-chances, we took chances that were clear cut. The moments where the chances weren't on, we were more patient with the football and kept it. I think we created some really good chances. We gambled from distance with the wind at our back – with the keeper not being very tall, we thought we could take advantage. We created good chances and that speaks volumes of the players we have here at South Alabama."

UP NEXT
The Jaguars conclude the regular season on Friday at 7 p.m. against Little Rock.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Upper 90 Club, the soccer specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  All gifts to the Upper 90 Club go directly to support the South Alabama soccer program.  For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/upper90

—USA—