SAN ANTONIO - One of the most impressive wins in recent program history has the University of the Incarnate Word women's soccer team sitting alone atop the Southland Conference standings.
Atiana Lara and
Tyler Coker both scored goals, and the Cardinals held the No. 2 offense in the country scoreless in a 2-0 win over visiting Northwestern State on Friday night.
The game was originally slated to be played on Thursday, but was pushed back a day due to bad weather.
The Cardinal offense got a fortuitous bounce off a corner kick to start the scoring in the first half.
Montanna Mathews sent in a ball that ricocheted off multiple players before it eventually got to Lara, who found the back off the net with an assist being given to
Hayden Kish. The goal gave Incarnate Word a 1-0 lead at the half.
Just over five minutes into the second half, the lead stretched to 2-0. After a Demon defender misplayed a
Julia Watson pass, it wound up at the foot of
Tyler Coker, who skipped a shot by Northwestern State keeper Audrey Marfia
Entering the night, the Demons had scored 41 goals on the season, second only to Purdue (45) in all of Division-I soccer.
And while they were aggressive, getting off 15 shots, the Cardinal defense had an answer every time. UIW pitched its fifth shutout of the season, while keeper
Hannah Alexander tied a season high with nine saves.
After losing their conference opener, the Cardinals have won three in a row and that 3-1 record has moved them into first place in the Southland standings.
With nine points, UIW is just ahead of the seven points of Houston Christian (2-0-1) and Lamar (2-1-1). Northwestern State and McNeese both have six points and 2-1 league records.
Now 6-5-2 overall and 4-0-2 at home, the Cardinals will return to Benson Stadium next Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. conference tilt against Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Â
