Sam Houston hosts NSU in home stand finale
10/6/2016 9:00:00 AM | Soccer
Match 14
Friday, Oct. 7 • 6:30 pm • Huntsville, Texas • Pritchett Field
Sam Houston State (2-10-1, 2-2-1 SLC) vs Northwestern State (7-5-0, 4-1-0 SLC)
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HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Sam Houston State soccer team closes out its season-high three-game home stand on Friday, welcoming Northwestern State for a 6:30 p.m. match. Admission is free to all fans. It will also be 'Free Food Friday,' with the first 100 students receiving complimentary McKenzie's Barbeque.
The Bearkats rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Lamar, 3-2, in overtime on Sunday afternoon at Pritchett Field. Allie Johnson recorded the game-tying goal in the 81st minute and added the golden goal just 40 seconds into overtime.
For the second time in as many weekends, the Bearkats stormed back for a positive result after a two-goal deficit with the first coming in a 2-2 tie at Houston Baptist last Friday.
Playing in its second overtime match of the season, Sam Houston ensured it would not be a lengthy one. Just 40 seconds in, Johnson buried the ball into the bottom right corner of the net inside the 18-yard box for the golden goal. The brace was Johnson's second in her career while her multi-goal performance upped her career total to 23, a mark that ranks third in team lore.
Lamar's three shots on goal marked a season low for an opponent against the Bearkats. For the second straight outing, Sam Houston allowed its opponent just nine total shots, both season bests. Most impressively, this comes despite allowing a season-high 14 Lamar corner kicks including 10 in the first half.
Meanwhile, Northwestern State enters Friday on a four-match win streak. The Demons downed Abilene Christian, 2-1, and Incarnate Word, 1-0, last weekend, while senior defender Patry Carrion and junior goalkeeper Alex Latham were named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week and Goalkeeper of the Week, respectively.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
In Southland play, Northwestern State is third in goals against average (0.74). The Demons have not allowed a league opponent to score multiple goals through its first five matchups. Meanwhile, Sam Houston enters play ranked third in shots per game at 15.75. The Bearkats have scored three goals in two of their last three games.
THE SERIES
Sam Houston has struggled historically against the Demons as Northwestern State owns a 12-4 advantage in the series dating to 2003. The Bearkats went 0-7 against the Demons during 2003-06 but more recently, have seen favorable results, going 3-2 against the league foe. Sam Houston is 4-4 in games played at Pritchett Field but fell to Northwestern State a season ago, 2-1, in Natchitoches, La.
