HOBBS, N.M. --- Two plays turned in by two Wayland Baptist freshmen women proved to be the difference in a 3-2 Pioneer victory over the University of the Southwest on Friday afternoon. Megan Huerta scored the game-winning goal midway through the second period and Sarah Lauderdale made a save with under a minute remaining to preserve victory for the Pioneer women.
WBU head coach Shiloh Posey, whose team is now 5-1 on the season, said after the game that it wasn't a thing of beauty, but his team did what it needed to do to win.
"Today's game proved to me that this team is coming together as a group. We didn't play well, and it seemed like everything that could go wrong did, but we dug down deep and worked together to get the win. Everybody played hard and gave 100 percent effort."
After giving up a goal within the first minute of the contest, the Wayland women came back and got two from Emarie Holland. The sophomore forward scored an unassisted goal at the 8:19 mark, and then converted a pass from Annysa Plata with 20:02 on the clock. It was the team-leading sixth goal of the season for Holland.
Huerta scored her first collegiate goal 63 minutes into the contest on a rebound that bounced around the box before landing at the feet of the Van Vleck, Texas, native. It was one of only ten shots taken by the Pioneers in the game, a season low for the squad that entered the contest averaging just over 20 shots.
"We didn't get as many shots as we are used to getting, but the one's we took were quality shots," said Posey. "Of those ten shots, six were on goal and three of those went into the back of the net. That's a percentage we'll take any day."
Lauderdale's save kept the game from going into overtime. The ball was headed toward a wide open net toward the far post after a corner kick, but the defender from Weatherford, Texas, managed to block the ball at the last possible second.
"I guess you could call it a header, but she actually took it right off her face," explained Posey.
The Pioneer women have one more tune-up before the start of Sooner Athletic Conference play. They return to New Mexico on Tuesday for a match against Eastern New Mexico University. That game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Central Time.
