MOBILE, Ala. – Ana Helmert scored a pair of second-half goals to lead South Alabama to a 3-0 non-conference win over Southeastern Louisiana Thursday night at The Cage.
Rio Hardy also scored for South Alabama (2-4), which got all three of its goals in the final 26 minutes following a scoreless first half.
Freshman goalkeeper
Michaela Hawthorn recorded nine saves for Southeastern (2-4). Justice Stanford had three for South Alabama.
Helmert lofted a shot over Hawthorn from the left wing off a pass from Ashleigh Pyle to give the Lady Jaguars a 1-0 lead in the 64
th minute.
Helmert charged up the middle to knock in a rebound from 25 yards, sending it just under the crossbar for her second goal in the 83
rd minute.
Hardy concluded the scoring by taking a ball at the top of the box, eluding a defender and sending in the shot in the center of the goal in the 88
th minute.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
The match was scoreless at the half. South Alabama out-shot Southeastern 10-2 in the first 45 minutes. Hawthorn made two saves and Stanford one.
Hawthorn dove to her left to deflect away an attempt by Selma Bjorgvinsdottir in the 17
th minute.
Junior midfielder
Maggie Ramsey sailed a shot high from the right wing in the 28
th minute.
Hawthorn blocked a shot by Tiina Trutsi, deflected away her rebound attempt, then grabbed a header by Chelsea Followwell off the ensuing corner in the 49
th minute.
Followwell missed the far post on a shot from the right wing in the 52
nd minute.
Hawthorn leapt to deflect away a shot by Followwell in the 73
rd minute.
Stanford snared an attempt by junior forward
Amber Marinero in the 76
th minute.
NOTES
South Alabama moved to 6-1-1 all-time versus Southeastern. The teams played to a 1-1 tie in Hammond in their last meeting in 2007. The Lady Lions took a 1-0 win in Mobile in 2006 after the Jaguars had won the first five matches in the series.
Helmert scored the first two goals of her career.
Hardy scored her third goal of the season.
Pyle had her first assist of 2017.
South Alabama's first goal snapped a span of 285 minutes the Lady Lions had not allowed a goal from the field. The lone goals Southeastern had given up in the stretch came on penalty kicks.
QUOTES
Southeastern head coach Chris McBride:
"The first half was really good. We frustrated them, made them take chances out wide and we dealt with some crosses and with shots from distance. The second half, they made some changes. They overloaded the backside and did well to create chances. The first goal went in on a shot from distance. The second was a great strike. It hit the crossbar and went in. The third goal we were trying to push for something and they caught us. That's a really good team, one of the best teams we'll face all year. We came in here wanting to work on some stuff for ourselves and we got everything we were supposed to get out of the game. We defended really well and created some chances on the counter which was important for us as well. We're proud of the girls' efforts, playing a really good team in South Alabama. It really prepares us for conference and we're happy with tonight's performance."
UP NEXT
Southeastern closes out its non-conference schedule against Louisiana Monroe Sunday at 5 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium. The match is Academy Day with fans receiving free merchandise, courtesy of Academy Sports & Outdoors.
