Longview, Texas – September 13, 2015- The Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) women’s soccer team extended their win streak to four in a row after beating LeTourneau University , 4-3 in overtime. SAGU is now 4-1 overall.
The Lady Lions experienced adversity from the start when a tire blew out on the bus one hour into the trip. The game was pushed back an hour and the ladies arrived only in time for the warm-up. Once SAGU adjusted, it was game on.
“ It took the team a bit to adjust to the high pressure of LETU,” explains head coach Mandy Fortner, “We struggled to finish in the first half and our few defensive mistakes resulted in LETU goals. After halftime, we were able to combine better and create scoring opportunities.”
The Lady Lions were down 3-0 at halftime. In the second half, SAGU was able to hold the Yellow Jackets to no points. In the 50 th minute, SAGU freshman Nadine Jaimes drew a foul just inside the box that resulted in a penalty kick. Naturally, she scored, making the game 3-1.
In a three minute span, SAGU was able to score two quick goals after senior Joy Reyes scored next off of a back corner shot from the right side of the goal. Senior Leslie Paez followed with a beautiful upper 90 shot from the left outside of the box, tying the game 3-3. The momentum had officially switched in SAGU’s favor.
“Going into overtime our goal was to possess and look patiently for an open shot. The girls did just that,” says Fortner.
With 1:57 left in overtime, SAGU scored after a combo between Reyes and Laura Barba , where Reyes slots the ball through the defense to Barba who shot it around LETU’s goal keeper who came out of her box.
The Lady Lions are basking in the best start ever and Fortner is proud of the way her team performed, “The girls played with such composure and passion. I was so impressed with their determination to win the game. They really grew as a TEAM and are ready to move forward.”
On Tuesday, September 15, 2015 the Lady Lions will play Texas A&M-Texarkana at home. The game will start at 4:30pm. A&M- Texarkana is currently 2-2.
Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.
By: Natalie Tristan, SAGU SID, [email protected]
