Islanders Set Program Win Record At NSU

NATCHITOCHES, La. - A historic day for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on the pitch, as the Islanders set a program-best for single season wins on a 2-1 victory on the road at Northwestern State. The team's sixth win of the season makes them the most successful regular season Corpus Christi squad in history and puts them at an all-time best 5-4 on the road. 

After experiencing early deficits to Central Arkansas and Abilene Christian in their previous two matches, the Islanders reversed their fait with their earliest scored tally of the season. Redshirt senior Brooke Erdmann opened up scoring with the matches' first shot of the afternoon, with teammate Ashley Hamilton grabbing the first assist of her career. Before the hosting Demons could even get their feet set, Hamilton played a looping ball over the NSU defense, giving Erdmann the opportunity to beat her mark and put the ball on frame in the fifth minute. The captain's score was her third of the season and the ninth of her career, after hitting the back of the net just two night's ago at UCA.  

Erdmann's day wouldn't be finished however, as the forward would find her second goal of the night just over 15 minutes later. An outlet pass from midfielder Addison Urbanus would find a racing Emily Keoughan down the right wing side, causing the Northwestern State goalkeeper to come off of her line. Keoughan was able to direct the ball toward the mouth of the goal, before being reached, giving Erdmann the opportunity to bully a pair of Demon defenders and direct in her second of the afternoon. 

Facing one of the most aggressive offenses in the Southland, it was no surprise for those in attendance to see the Demons supplying a high volume of shots. Despite the two Erdmann tallies, the Green and Blue would be heavily outshot in the first, 9-4. Freshman goalkeeper Kyleigh Hall would pick up off her big Friday performance however, stopping the first three NSU shots on goal and shutting out the home squad in the opening 34 minutes. Northwestern State's offense would eventually get past the young tender during the 35th, off the Demons' second corner of the contest, and the Islanders would take a 2-1 lead into the break.

Unsatisfied with a one-goal lead, Corpus Christi's offense picked up the pace in the second half, throwing a barrage of seven strikes toward net in the latter 45. Freshman Celia Hilsabeck would single-handedly outshoot the Demons in the half, taking a career-high four attempts toward net and nearly giving the Islanders a 3-1 lead on a free kick, struck from over 20 yards out. Erdmann would get her own shot off the dead ball during the 55th, when her own ball clanged off the opposing crossbar, mere inches from the veteran's first career hat trick.

NSU's offense would struggle to muster much of anything in the second half, taking just two shots, both of which went wide. Hall was largely untested until the final 10 minutes of the match, but the freshman was up to task, erasing a pair of dangerous crosses before the home team could get a shot off. 

The final whistle would ring with the Islanders up 2-1 on the scoreboard, to cap off a perfect 2-0 record on the weekend and move Head Coach Craig Shaw's side into a tie for sixth in the Southland Conference.

• Sunday's win is Corpus Christi's first-ever in the state of Louisiana. All of the team's other out-of-state wins had come on the road at Central Arkansas
• With 16 goals this year the Islander offense ties last season's total, putting them a just a single tally away from setting a single season program record
• The Islanders' five road wins this season tie their combined total from the last four years
• Brooke Erdmann ranks second in Blue and Green history with 10 career goals, and ties the personal-best four tallies she had last year
• Erdmann's total gives the senior two multi-goal games in her career, putting her one short of tying Yvette Franco's school record of three
• Erdmann is also one of the most experienced players in Blue and Green history, sitting just three caps shy of another program career-high
• The Islanders are now a perfect 5-0 when leading at the half this season, and 6-0 when scoring multiple goals

COMING UP NEXT 
The Islanders come back home to faceoff with the two topped ranked teams in the Southland Conference, playing McNeese and Lamar on Friday and Sunday respectively. Although the sides are both 7-1 in conference play this season, the Islanders are a combined 5-2-1 against the two teams all-time, and has won every matched played against the Cardinals and Cowgirls inside of Dugan Stadium

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