SAN ANTONIO -- Six days removed from
its biggest win in years, there was no letdown for the University of the Incarnate Word women's soccer team in its return to action.
Three different players scored goals and the defense pitched a second straight shutout, as first-place UIW easily handled Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3-0 in a Southland Conference women's soccer matchup Thursday.
Having already proven capable of
scoring from 30 yards out,
Louise Coates drove home another rocket for the first goal Thursday, blasting a long-range shot into the top-left corner of the net in the 15th minute of an
Atiana Lara assist..
Not even nine minutes later, the score was 2-0. Off a corner kick, the ball bounced off a scrum of bodies to the foot of
Montanna Mathews, who scored to double the lead off a pass from reigning Southland Conference
Offensive Player of the Week Tyler Coker.
The Cardinals wouldn't need anymore scoring, but the offense provided it all the same in the 73rd minute, when Joella Livingson scored off a
Peri Olmo assist.
Goalie
Hannah Alexander, who also earned an SLC Player of the Week nod last week, put herself in position to get another Thursday. As she did in a 2-0 win over SLC Preseason favorite Northwestern State last Friday, Alexander recorded a nine-save shutout.
Winners of three straight, the Cardinals improve to 4-1 in SLC play, holding a two-point lead over McNeese (3-1-1), and a three-point edge over both Northwestern State (3-1) and Nicholls (2-0-3).
UIW is on its longest conference win streak since capturing four in a row in 2021, while its 4-1 record is tied for its best start through five games in SLC play, equaling a previous mark set in 2019.
Now 7-5-2 overall, the Cardinals are off for a week before facing a tough Southland road test against Lamar (5-2-4, 2-1-1) on Oct. 15.
