SAN ANTONIO, Texas – It was a matchup that was too close for comfort but in the end it was McNeese's
Bettina Brulhart who set the tone in Friday night's Southland Confernece matchup as the senior midfielder provided the game-winning goal to help lift the Cowgirls over Incarnate Word, 1-0, in San Antonio.
The win improved McNeese to 7-7 overall and 3-4 in conference action while the loss dropped UIW to 3-9-1 on the year and 2-5 in SLC play. It was the first time since 2013 that a McNeese soccer squad posted back-to-back shutouts in league play.
A little under three minutes into the first half,
Morgan Middleton and
Kirsten Diaz were able to put a ball in play for Brulhart as she slipped the ball by the Cardinals goalkeeper to give McNeese a lead that held for the remaining 87 minutes. Middleton assisted on her second play of the season while Diaz recorded her first.
Despite the early goal, Incarnate Word continued to battle throughout the first half, outshooting the Cowgirls, 5-2, and taking four corner kicks to McNeese's two.
Junior Cowgirl goalkeeper
Annie Bravenec was solid inside the net the entire net as she made four saves to post her fourth blank sheet on the year.
In the second half, it was McNeese who took control of the ball outshooting UIW, 7-4. In the final minutes of the match, each squad took their shots but were unable to get anything past the keepers.
Savannah LaRicci's shot in the 83
rd minute was saved while UIW's Sam Batley took a shot in the closing seconds only to have it blocked by the Cowgirl defense.
"We challenged our team at halftime to step up and win more of the fifty-fifty balls and be a bit more scrappier," said head coach
Drew Fitzgerald. "We didn't change much tactically but we just told our players that we were in for a fight and need to work together to win. UIW battles all over the field and it was crucial that we matched their intensity."
The Cowgirls finished the match with nine shots, including three shots on goal, and four corner kicks, while UIW attempted nine shots with four shots on goal and sic corner kicks.
McNeese will be back in action on Sunday as the Cowgirls travel to take on Abilene Christian in its final road match of the regular season. The match is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
