Islanders Say Goodbye To Four In Senior Day Match

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi bid farewell to four of its seniors this Sunday afternoon, as the hosting Islanders fell 3-0 to the top-ranked Lamar Cardinals in a match brought to you by NavyArmy Federal Credit Union. Brooke Erdmann, Jordan Wainwright, Andi Bethard and Christina Remmes all earned starts in the final home match of the season, as the quartet took to Dugan field for the final time in their careers.

The first half of the Islanders' match against the Cardinals was largely steered by the afternoon's inclement weather. While the day produced no rain or lightning, the home squad was forced to play headlong into a 25 mile-per-hour wind for the first 45 minutes of competition, putting the gusts at the backs of the SLC-leading visitors.

Fighting the wind, the Islanders were heavily outshot by a margin of 11-1 in the first, with Erdmann taking the Blue and Green's only attempt on net. In the 12th minute, the senior forward settled a throw in along the sidelines and turned for a strike from over 20 yards out. With a heavy curve on the shot, Erdmann's ball sailed just a meter wide of frame, as the Lamar goalkeeper was untested through the remainder of the period. 

Subbing in for Wainwright in the eighth minute, netminder Kyleigh Hall recorded six saves in the opening half against Lamar and played an important piece for the Islanders down the stretch, after the team earned its first red card of the season in the 38th minute. A harshly judged call by the active referee put the Blue and Green down a man for the remainder of the match, as the home team was forced to play over 50 minutes with just 10 players.

Despite their disadvantage, the Islanders attack looked strong in the opening stages of half two. The Cardinals were able to open scoring in the 48th, but it would be the home side that earned back-to-back corner opportunities in the first ten minutes. Kaitlyn Joy pulled the trigger twice during the second, while teammate Celia Hilsabeck would be the first to force a save from the Lamar keeper. 

While the Islanders were able to keep up with their visiting rivals for the majority of the match, the Cardinals were slowly allowed to tilt possession in their favor, as the lack of an 11th participant began to weigh on Corpus Christi. Hall would make a terrific diving stop during the 73rd minute, but after a few deflections Lamar would regain control at the mouth of the goal for an easy finish. The final tally of the day would again come from the Cardinals during the 85th minute, as the Islanders were forced to take a 3-0 loss to close out the weekend.

• Erdmann's final match at Dugan is the 70th of her career, tying the program record for match appearances. The forward has a chance to own the record individually with a cap in next weekend's Houston Baptist contest
• Hall's 12 saves are the most she's ever had in a match, and is an individual-high for Islander keepers this year
• Corpus Christi is just a single goal away form setting the program record for goals in a season. They currently have 16
• With two shots today, Joy leads the Islanders with 26 shots on the year
• Defender Hannah cupps played an impressive 90 minutes against the Cardinals on Sunday, recording her second shot on goal this season
• The Blue and Green's loss to the Cardinals puts an end to a three-match win streak against Lamar University

SENIOR DAY NOTES
Brooke Erdmann | Forward | Deer Park, Texas
Erdmann currently ranks second in program history with 10 goals and 22 points over four seasons of competition. Appearing in her 70th match against Lamar, the Deer Park product looks to set the school cap record next week in Houston Baptist, and will retire with the second most multi-goal matches in Blue and Green history.

Jordan Wainwright | Goalkeeper | Live Oak, Florida
The senior netminder finishes her career with 19 caps and four victories on the Island, with her three clean sheets over the past two years sitting second in Islander history.

Andi Bethard | Defender | North Richland Hills, Texas
With 28 appearances, Andi Bethard has played a vital role for the Islanders' backline in the last two years as the graduating defender has earned a cap in all but six matches since coming to the Island in 2016.

Christina Remmes | Midfielder | Kingwood, Texas
After sitting out the 2014 season due to a knee injury, midfielder Christina Remmes has battled back to earn letters in both the 2015 and 2016 campaigns, competing in 12 of the club's 18 matches from the previous season.

COMING UP NEXT
The Islanders put an end to their 2017 campaign with a road contest at Houston Baptist this coming Friday. The Blue and Green will likely need a win against the Huskies in order to make this year's Southland Conference tournament, as the club sits tied for the eighth spot with Nicholls and just two points ahead of Southeastern Louisiana.

STAY SOCIAL
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