The Lady Panther soccer team defeated rival Texas Southern for its first win of the season before dropping two games to non-conference opponents Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin.
After marriage, seeing your baby’s first step, and your kids graduating, nothing in the world may feel better than beating up on your rival for the first win of the season. The Lady Panthers (1-7-1) were able to feel that on Wednesday, as they took on Texas Southern University (0-6) in their first conference match of the year. Right out of the gate, the Lady Panthers got four shots up as Kendahl Williams helped PVAMU take the lead by kicking the last shot into the net at 19:37.
The match seemed to be in hand until Saycha Mitchell assisted Ashley Garcia as she headed a shot past goalie Jessica Garcia at the 27:53 mark, tying the game at 1-1. The period ended with the score still knotted at 1-1, but it was because of the two saves by Garcia and four saves by TSU’s goalie, Keisha McDaniel. TSU would finish with a total of six saves while PVAMU ended with both of Garcia’s.
In the second period, the only score came at the 83:05 mark when Williams got back into the act by assisting Angelica Diaz as she launched a shot past the goalie for the winning point. The Lady Panthers played excellent defense in the second period, allowing the Lady Tigers to get only one shot on goal. The team swarmed the ball and kept possession for the majority of the game. As you expect from a rivalry game, the contest was very physical. Both teams ended the match with eight fouls while three players received yellow cards.
On Friday, the Lady Panthers remained at home as they hosted the Lady Lions from Southeastern Louisiana. The contest welcomed a crowd of more than 100 spectators who saw the Lady Lions hand the ladies their eighth loss of the season. Erica Herrera played in place of Garcia in front of the goal as she nabbed seven saves. The bad side to Herrera’s high save day is that SELA got 24 more shots up than the Lady Panthers, out shooting them 25-1. The Panthers did not get any corner kicks allowing for better shots on goal.
The match against Stephen F. Austin ended in a loss, but helped the Lady Panthers gain confidence in the long run as they prepare to re-enter conference play. The contest finished with SFA winning 10-2, but the Panthers improved their level of play against a more competitive opponent in Stephen F. Ausin. The Lady Panthers did get four shots on goal and a corner kick, but they also allowed SFA to accumulate 53 shots, saving only 16.
The Lady Panthers look to improve on their 1-0 conference record Friday, Oct. 3, when they host Alabama State at 6 p.m. at the William Nicks Athletic Complex.