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Life > Athletics > Soccer > 10/10/07
PENALTY KICK BY SANCHES PUSHES TWU PAST TAMUC
Box Score
 COMMERCE, Texas (October 10) – Junior midfielder Theresa Sanches converted a penalty kick in the 80th minute of play to give the Texas Woman’s University Pioneers a 2-1 win over the Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions on Wednesday afternoon in Commerce, Texas.
Sanches (pictured) scored the decisive goal, her second of the season, after TWU forward Chastity Hayter drew a foul inside the Lions goal box. Taking the Pioneers’ first penalty kick of the season, Sanches stepped up and blasted the ball past the Lions’ goalkeeper, Jennifer Alvarado, and into the lower left-hand corner of the net.
“I felt really confident before I took the shot,” said Sanches of the penalty kick. “We practice PK’s all the time, so I knew where I wanted to go with the ball. I’m just happy that I was able to capitalize on this opportunity and help our team get the win.”
Hayter gave the Pioneers an early one-goal lead when she scored her third goal of the season in the sixth minute of play. Freshman midfielder Taylor Bullock assisted on Hayter’s goal with a perfectly executed give-and-go exchange.
TWU maintained their 1-0 advantage until TAMUC sophomore forward Meagan Lasley netted a breakaway goal in the 27th minute of the first half.
The Pioneers and Lions traded offensive punches throughout the second half, but sound defensive play by both teams kept the game tied at one until Sanches’ dramatic goal.
“Our defense was tremendous tonight,” said TWU head coach Fleur Benatar. “Aly Vincent, Sue Cribbes, and Natalie Harrison all played outstanding. TAMUC is a very aggressive, attacking team, and to hold them to one goal speaks volumes about how strong our defenders played.”
The win was the first for the Pioneers in their seven all-time meetings against the traditionally strong A&M-Commerce team. Benatar is hopeful that the victory will give the Pioneers a boost of momentum in the final month of the season.
“We played a complete game tonight,” she said. “We started strong and finished strong. All season long we’ve been an up-and-down team. Tonight, we put it all together. If we can keep playing like this, we’re going to be tough to beat.”
The Lone Star Conference win by the Pioneers was their second victory in a row and improves their record to 5-8-1 for the season and 2-3-0 in conference play. The loss drops TAMUC to 7-7 for the year and 3-2 in the LSC.
The Pioneers will be shooting for their third win in a row when they take on another LSC opponent, the Midwestern State University Mustangs, on Sunday, October 14, at 2:00 p.m. in Wichita Falls, Texas. |
