Lady Rams ride wind, Trought to victory

LUBBOCK – On one hand the Wayland Baptist women's soccer team managed to snap a four-match scoreless streak against Texas Wesleyan here Tuesday afternoon. But on the other hand the Pioneers weren't able to end their losing skid.
 
After battling to a 2-2 halftime time, Wayland saw the Sooner Athletic Conference game at Lubbock Christian University's soccer complex get away in the second half when the Rams made the most of having a strong wind at their back and rolled to a 5-2 victory.
 
The teams took turns scoring in the first half, with Danielle Trought and Savanna Brown punching in goals for the Rams (3-2, 3-2 SAC) while Bianca Roman notched both goals for Wayland (3-5, 1-5), assisted on the first by Ajacia Mojica then blistering home the second on an impressive 25-yard free kick from just outside the penalty area.
 
The second half turned into the Danielle Trought show as the senior forward, a transfer from UTEP, notched three goals, all in a span of about 13 minutes. Amazingly, the one first-half goal and the second-half hat trick were Trought's first goals of the season in what was her fifth match.
 
Wayland managed 13 shots, just one fewer than Texas Wesleyan, and had three more shots on goal, 8-to-5. But the Pioneers simply had no answer for Trought, who scored on four of the five shots she attempted.
 
Roman ended with four shots for the Pioneers, while Mojica, Victoria Balieiro and Audilia Vargas had three each. Roman and Mojica had two on-target shots each.
 
Texas Wesleyan played the match with no available substitutes, due in large part to a number of players graduating last fall. Wayland had two available subs.
 
Roman's two goals gives her six on the season and moves her into the team lead, breaking a tie with Fortune Kede who missed Tuesday's match due to medical reasons.

The Pioneers, who have dropped five in a row, next face an important match with Southwestern Assemblies of God University (4-5, 1-3), which is just ahead of Wayland in the league standings in eighth place. Wayland and SAGU square off at 2 p.m. Saturday at Berl Huffman Soccer Complex in north Lubbock.
 
SAGU is set to take on Oklahoma-Panhandle State, the only SAC team Wayland has beaten, on Wednesday in Waxahachie. The Lady Lions are coming off an 11-0 loss to USAO and a 2-0 loss to Oklahoma City, which followed a 2-1 victory over Southwestern Christian.
 
Saturday will be Wayland's third straight "home" match on a neutral field due to turf issues at Hilliard Field.