Sam Houston State soccer dropped its opening match of the season, falling 5-0 at Alabama on Friday night. The squad returns home Sunday, hosting UTSA at 6:30 p.m. from Pritchett Field.
The Bearkats (0-1) managed just three shots, including one on goal while permitting the most goals since falling 6-0 at Tulsa on Aug. 28, 2011. Despite the struggles, head coach Tom Brown noted this is the first match of many in a lengthy season.
“We try to communicate that to them and we'll really count on our seniors to stay with those young players and get them ready,” Brown said. “It's one game and we learned something from it. I think from a coaching staff, it tells us a lot as we look at these players and how they respond. The players are being put under some very difficult circumstances and it will show what kind of character they have.”
Sam Houston started four new players on the night including two freshmen. Anna Kaiser, who earned the call in goal, recorded 10 saves in her Bearkat debut. The Kats, who found themselves on the defensive, endured 36 Crimson Tide (1-0) shots, including 15 on goal.
“I think they outmatched us athletically at a couple key positions,” Brown said. “Because of their athleticism and pressure, we were turning over the ball a lot more than we would normally. We would win it back, turn it over and had to defend again. Players will have to learn how to deal with that pressure and make sure we keep the ball to make the other team work hard.”
After some nice stops in the box by the Kats defense, The Tide ultimately capitalized on an opportunity to take a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.
Alabama struck again in the 22nd minute, using a break away down the right side and some flashy footwork in front of the box. The netter came from Tori Gann, the same player responsible for the first goal.
Kaiser, a freshman from Oakdale, Minn., kept the Bearkats within reach, stopping a one-on-one chance with a sliding halt and a lunging grab to her right, forcing a Tide corner but in the 36th minute, a mix-up in front of the box resulted in a three-goal deficit for the Kats.
The Tide added two more in the second half, taking advantage of their opportunities. The Tide boasted 12 corner kicks and had 15 different players take shots on the evening. For Sam Houston, the lone shot attempts came from Allie Johnson, Maddy Panozzo and Lexi Riggs.
“It was a tough opponent on the road,” Brown said. “Obviously having an hour delay didn't help things for us. I thought it allowed me to get a lot of players in and look at them under some difficult circumstances. Hopefully we can evaluate where players are and see when we get to conference where these players will follow in.”
When the Kats return home Sunday, the first 100 students at the game will receive free Pizza Hut and free 3 Spoons Yogurt. It will also be the first opportunity for fans to pick up their official 2016 soccer posters. Following Sunday, the Kats hit the road for nine straight.
