Box Score Corpus Christi, Texas – With less than two minutes remaining in regulation, freshman Kristin Kelley scored her first career goal, and what a goal it was. After collecting a loose ball outside the box, Kelley sent a shot from 35-yards dipping underneath the crossbar for the game winner, as the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's soccer team defeated Central Arkansas 2-1 on Sunday.
"We kept telling the team to take chances and crash the box and Kristin did just that on the game winner," said head coach Shanna Caldwell. "She had space and took a peek at the goal and was confident taking the shot from range."
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The Islanders fell behind early in the match in the fourth minute. Camille Bassett, the leading scorer for the Sugar Bears, picked up her seventh goal of the season when she scored on a breakaway.
Following the goal, Islanders goalkeeper Megan Delaney would be called on to make three saves before the 20th minute, including a block on a Central Arkansas breakaway in the 14th minute.
In the 21st minute, A&M-Corpus Christi scored an equalizer on a tap-in from Emma Biba. Hailey Sutton, who pressured the Sugar Bears backline the entire match, forced UCA goalkeeper Lauren Mercuri to make a save, but the netminder could not control the rebound. Biba pounced on the loose ball to score her first career goal.
Aside from Bassett hitting the outside of the post in the 71st minute, neither side was able to convert possession into meaningful attempts on goal. Both teams began to prepare for overtime, until Kelley's shot stunned the Sugar Bears and gave the Islanders their third conference victory of the season.
"It was a true team effort today and a great result," added Caldwell. "I thought we worked hard the entire match and stayed positive. We believed we could come out with the result and we battled till the final whistle."
Notes from the Match
• Kelley's goal was the fourth time this season that an Islander scored her first career goal. Eight different Islanders have bagged goals for A&M-Corpus Christi this year.
"I put my faith in the Lord today when I was playing and totally trusted Him throughout," Kelley said after the match. "When He gave me the opportunity, I took the shot and scored. It was great because God showed us his love through the win today."
• Delaney finished the match with seven saves to push her tally on the season to 95.
• Sunday's match marked the second time this season that the Islanders were outshot in a win, as the Sugar Bears held the advantage 19-8. Southeastern Louisiana edged A&M-Corpus Christi 16-8 in the shots category in the other win.
What's Next
The Islanders have three games remaining in the regular season, with two home games next weekend against Lamar on Friday and McNeese State on Sunday, before a road trip to finish the season at Houston Baptist.
• In the chase for the sixth and final spot in the Southland Conference Tournament, the Islanders are tied in fifth place at 3-4-1 with Central Arkansas, not counting the ineligible Abilene Christian in second place. A&M-Corpus Christi holds the tiebreaker with the Sugar Bears following today's win.
• Lamar tied the University of the Incarnate Word 1-1 on Sunday to take the Cardinals from Beaumont, Texas, to 2-5-1 in conference play and ninth in the standings.
• McNeese State sits in seventh place, one point out of a tournament place. The Cowgirls are 3-5 after a 3-2 double-overtime loss to Abilene Christian on Sunday.
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