HUNTSVILLE — Jasmine Marquez was at the right spot at the right moment, and it could not have been a more perfect time.
Marquez scored the game-winning goal in the final minutes to lift Sam Houston to a key 2-1 Conference USA victory on Sunday in the home finale at Pritchett Field. The victory put an end to a two-game conference losing streak and kept the Bearkats (7-6-2, 4-3) in the race for a top seed in the league postseason tournament.
Sam Houston was on the attack early Sunday and wasted not a lot of time lighting up the scoreboard when
Andrea Nugent played the ball up to
Landri Townsend who popped her shot pass the goalie for a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute. It was Townsend's team-leading sixth goal of the season and the 19th of her career, moving her into a tie for fourth all-time in the school record books.
The Blue Raiders, who entered the match in third, turned on the offense and came after the Kats following the goal. Middle Tennessee (7-8, 4-3) kept plugging away and tied it at 1 with an equalizer in the 28
th minute.
Both teams had scoring chances but could not capitalize to break the tie over the next 40 minutes.
It seemed like it was going to only be a matter of time before Sam Houston broke through as the match wore on. The moment of triumph finally arrived when a scrum in the box saw the ball rebound off the keeper and right to Marquez who delivered what would prove to be the goal to win it.
The Bearkats hit the road for the final two matches of the season beginning at UTEP on Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.
