Box Score
CORPUS CHRISTI – Lauren Hughes scored the game-winning goal and added an assist to lift Rice to a 2-0 win over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's soccer team on Friday night at Dugan Stadium. Megan Delaney made 12 saves in a losing effort for the Islanders.
Danielle Spriggs potted the other goal for the Owls late in the second half, as Rice held off a strong charge for the Islanders late in the first half and early in the second.
Both teams had strong chances in the early going, but Delaney denied a strong Owls opportunity in the fourth minute and the Islanders were unable to cash in on a nice ball in the box by Yvette Franco in the seventh minute. The game remained scoreless into the 24th, when Delaney denied a lovely strike by Hughes to keep it at 0-0.
But Hughes cashed in on a set piece in the 30th. The senior strode to the ball from 24 yards out on the left side and sent a laser inside the near post to make it a 1-0 score in favor of the Owls at 29:34.
Rice remained in control for much of the next seven minutes, but the Islanders defense and Delaney kept the score at 1-0. The Islanders mounted a strong challenge in the final five minutes, with a nice run from Hailey Sutton resulting in a pair of corner kicks. On the first, Kallyn Redona got her head on the ball, but it trickled just off the mark, and the score remained 1-0 heading into the break.
After the Islanders came out of the locker room, the home squad turned up the pressure, and Franco had a pair of shots blocked in the 49th minute as the score remained 1-0 in favor of the Owls. The score remained that way into the 60th, but the Owls picked up the pressure at that point, and Delaney was able to make a pair of strong saves to keep the deficit at one.
But in the 76th, the Owls' pressure broke through, as a nice ball along the right side from Hughes sent Danielle Spriggs in on Delaney. Spriggs unleashed a shot high to the near side, and it cleared Delaney for a 2-0 Rice lead at 75:17. That score carried all the way to the final whistle, as the Islanders fell to 0-3 on the season and Rice improved to 2-1.
A&M-Corpus Christi play next Friday at Dugan Soccer Stadium against Texas State. The first 500 fans through the gates will receive an Islanders soccer scarf presented by Sprint.
The game will be broadcast on the Islanders Digital Network, which is now a free live-streaming service. Live stats will be available here.
For more information on Islanders women's soccer, follow the team on Twitter (@IslandersSoccer) and like their Facebook page (Islanders Soccer). Download the official Islanders Front Row App to stay up to date on all the latest Islanders Athletics news.
