Sophomore forward Kirby Zak blasted a muddy ball from 10-yards out into the middle of the netting in the 105th minute to give Sam Houston it's first women's soccer victory of the 2010 season over North Texas Friday night.
A heavy rain storm that began 10 minutes before kickoff soaked the playing surface at Pritchett Field and turned the match into a contest of will in muddy, water soaked conditions.
"It was like playing in a swimming pool," Zak said. "You kick the ball as hard as you could and the mud would just stop it."
The loss was the first for North Texas who came into the match 4-0, having given up only one goal in 360 minutes of play. Sam Houston was 0-4, having scored only once in four losses, three of the defeats by only one goal.
"This victory means a lot to us," Zak said. "I'm really not sure how I got the ball, who passed it to me or what exactly happened. All I know is I wanted to end the game, so I kicked it as hard as I could."
Freshman Tricia Mallory was the mystery woman who won the ball in the air for Sam Houston and delivered to to Zak's feet. The sophomore battled past a North Texas defender and took the shot from just inside the penalty spot.
Both teams had opportunities to score during the 90 minutes of regulation play. North Texas totaled 23 shots while Sam Houston posted 11. Both goalkeepers, Jenny Pence for Sam Houston and Haley Newsom for North Texas saved nine shots.
"With the field conditions, this wasn't a game of skill. It was strictly perseverance," Sam Houston head coach Tom Brown said. "Kirby's goal was just a case of wanting it more. She did a good job of staying focused with the defender hanging on her, getting set and punching the ball in the back of the net."
Sam Houston State will play Texas Southern in Houston on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The next home match for the Bearkats will be in two weeks against Baylor.
