HUNTSVILLE – In its final home game of the season, the Sam Houston State soccer team (3-11-3, 2-6-2 SLC) was unable to overcome an early deficit and fell 3-0 to Southland Conference foe UIW, Sunday afternoon at Pritchett Field.
Sam Houston started the afternoon with a Senior Day ceremony which honored its seven seniors – Lindsey Bienski, Micaela Birt, Meredith Carlson, Carly English, Christina Hendershot, Bailey Strong and Whitney Woodward.
Courtney Pawlik and Carlota Suarez Crespo led the crew with four shots apiece, followed closely by Tilde Orn who boasted three.
FIRST HALF
Sam Houston produced its first scoring opportunity in the 13th minute after Taylor Pritchard drew a foul just outside of the box. Strong sent a textbook cross into the box, but a header from Pawlik sailed just high of the goal.
Hendershot tallied two saves in the opening 15 minutes, but UIW jumped on the board in the 16th minute when Sabrina Martineau picked up a rebounded shot. She dribbled around a defender and sunk the opening goal to put the Cardinals up, 1-0.
The Bearkats tried to answer back in the remainder of the half, but UIW goalkeeper Sydney Huntsinger stopped scoring attempts from both Suarez Crespo and Pawlik.
SECOND HALF
After Hendershot brought in another save to start the second, Orn and Pawlik both recorded shots on goal. Despite their best efforts, both attempts went straight into the hands of the UIW goalkeeper.
Orn took another stab at scoring in the 58th minute, but a defending Cardinal blocked her shot. Bienski brought in the rebounded shot but her try at evening up the match nailed the post and rolled out of bounds.
Two minutes after UIW was issued a red card 61st minute, the Cardinals took a 2-0 lead. UIW's Sam Batley gathered a Cardinal shot that struck the post and tipped it into the goal from one yard out. Martineau made it a 3-0 match six minutes later with her second goal of the game after lifting a shot over the top of Hendershot for a goal.
Suarez Crespo and Danielle Forsyth tried to answer back, each firing off a shot, but both attempts were reigned in by the keeper. Sam Houston tallied six more shots in the remainder of the match but was unable to find the back of the net and the Kats dropped the Senior Day contest, 3-0.
COMING UP NEXT
With the loss, the Kats fall to 2-6-2 in league play and 3-11-3 overall. Sam Houston will close out the regular season on Friday, Oct. 26 at Stephen F. Austin. Live stats will be available for the Kats' last conference match. For all the latest information on the Sam Houston State soccer team, visit gobearkats.com or follow @BearkatsSOC on Twitter.
