HBU Women’s Soccer Clinches Berth to SLC Tournament With 2-1 Win

The HBU women's soccer team celebrate their victory
over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and their qualifying
for the Southland Conference Tournament
Photo by Eric Williams

Rebekah Tovar scores game winner in 71st minute

 

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS (October 26, 2014) Junior midfielder Rebekah Tovar broke a 1-1 tie with a goal in the 71st  minute, as HBU earned a trip to the Southland Conference Tournament with a 2-1 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Sunday afternoon.

 

HBU punches its first trip to the conference tournament, as the Huskies won their fifth-straight match. The last time HBU won five straight was in 2011, when the Huskies went 11-9-1 and 4-1-1 in their final season in the Great West Conference.

 

“I am very proud of the team,” said head coach Misty Jones. “We played hard all weekend and came up with two big wins on the road to secure us a spot in the conference tournament. That is a great feeling going into next week.”

 

Tovar and Natalie Hager scored for HBU (7-6-3 overall, 6-1-2 SLC), while Blake Martin and Ellee Hall registered assists. Tovar and Hager each took three shots, while Tovar had two shots on goal.

 

Walrath stopped three shots and allowed the one goal as she improved to 6-5-2 on the season with a 0.98 goals-against average.

 

Yvette Franco scored for TAMUCC (4-7-3 overall, 3-5-1 SLC), as she and Aulona Velaj each led the Islanders with three shots.

Megan Delaney made two saves and allowed two goals in net for the Islanders.

 

HBU took a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute, as Martin fed Hager and she beat Delaney one-on-one.

 

The Islanders tied the match with just 40 seconds remaining in the first half, as Bri Lugo passed the ball to Franco, who beat Walrath at an odd angle. The goal snapped the Huskies’ shutout streak at 355:56, dating back to a second-half goal by McNeese State Oct. 5.

 

TAMUCC outshot HBU, 6-2, in the first half. Neither team took a corner kick.

 

HBU weathered five Islander corner kicks before the Huskies took a 2-1 lead in the 71^st minute, as Tovar beat Delaney on a one-timer off a pass from Hall.

 

The Islanders put pressure in the waning minutes, as Becca Chance’s shot went right and the Huskies’ defense blocked Franco’s shot at the 87:35-mark, but HBU held on for the win.

 

HBU outshot the Islanders, 10-4, in the second half and 12-10 for the match. Corner kicks were 5-2 in favor of TAMUCC.

 

HBU plays at Sam Houston State Friday, Oct. 31 at 6:30 pm before hosting Southeastern Louisiana on “Senior Day” Sunday, Nov. 2 at 1 pm.