Islanders Finish Most Successful Season in Team History

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's season ended in a loss this Wednesday, but the Islanders can take solace in what was the most successful season in school history thus far. In the club's second postseason appearance since its inaugural 2013 season, the Blue and Green took a 1-0 loss to the top-ranked Lamar Cardinals, falling in the first round of this year's Southland Conference Championship.

Just over a week removed from playing one another in the regular season, the No. 8 Islanders faced No. 1 Lamar looking to even the season series at a win apiece. Both sides entered this week's tournament riding their best regular season in school history, as the hosting Islanders looked to improve their record setting win total to seven.

The Blue and Green would jump on the Cardinals early, with redshirt senior Brooke Erdmann tallying the first shot on goal of the match within the first minute. Midfielder Ashley Hamilton would have the best opportunity for the Islanders however, after hitting a ball on the volley from over 25 yards out. Hamilton's strike came within mere inches of putting her team out in front, ringing off the crossbar of the opposing squad's net, and further deflecting off the hand of the extended Lamar goalkeeper. LU's netminder would recover before any more danger could occur however, collecting the Hamilton shot prior to any rebound opportunities. 

Both sides would trade chances over the first half, but it would be the visitors to open up the scoring. Southland Newcomer of the Year Kelso Peskin picked up her 11th assist of the season after her throw in found the body of teammate Madison Ledet inside the six-yard box to beat Islander keeper Kyleigh Hall. Hall picked up two saves over the first 45 minutes, playing in her first match since recording her first career clean sheet against Houston Baptist on Friday. The freshman played a pivotal role for Corpus Christi throughout Wednesday's match, making four stops overall and erasing multiple Lamar opportunities to keep the differential at one for the remainder of the night.

Lamar would experience some prolonged pressure at the start of the second half, but without any legitimate chances the door remained open for the Islanders to tie things up. The Blue and Green increased their attack in the latter 30 minutes, creating opportunities both up the middle and on the wings. Erdmann would come into play once again with one of her team's best chances of the night. After receiving a pass less than 10 meters above the 18-yard box, the forward beat her mark and took fire sending a shot just above frame in the 71st, nearly putting things even at one apiece. 

The Blue and Green continued to throw bodies up top in attempt to get level, but were unable to find an equalizer against the increasingly conservative play of the Cardinals. At the final whistle the scoreboard would read 1-0 in favor of the top seed, as the Islanders' historic season would see its final end.

• Hamilton would finish with a season-high two shots on the night, playing the entirety of the match for a third consecutive contest
• Hall would finish with four saves on Wednesday and 51 saves for the year. The freshman has more than twice as many stops as any of her teammates' this season, despite playing just seven games
• Erdmann's play against Lamar marks the 72nd appearance of her career on the Island. She beat the previous program best with her 71st cap at HBU last week
• Erdmann also finishes her career ranked second all-time in Islander goals (10), points (22) and multi-goal performances (2)
• The Blue and Green tied its program record for goals in a season with 16 markers in 2017
• At 6-9-3 the Islanders' first year under Head Coach Craig Shaw is their best in history, reaching the postseason for a second time since the team's inception in 2013
• With 13 Corpus Christi freshmen earning time this year, the Islanders are one of the youngest teams in the Southland Conference, and are well in position to be a force among their peers for the coming years

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