JONESBORO, Ark. (8/12/16) – Taylor Schneider's goal in the 49th minute proved to the be the different in the Arkansas State women's soccer team 1-0 exhibition victory over UT Martin Friday after at the A-State Soccer Park.
The match marked the first appearance for Schneider and nine other Red Wolves who are looking to gel with 12 returners as the Red Wolves look to gain momentum in the non-conference portion of their schedule.
“Exhibition game's are a good way to test things and last year we had some problems holding onto to leads so it was good to see us find a way to fight through that and find ways to get a win,” A-State head coach Brian Dooley said. “I think the biggest factor overall was that possession and shape was really nice. We still have some things to clean up, but we got a lot of people time on the field and we'll continue to improve.”
Schneider's goal was the result of a well-placed corner kick from junior Taylor Carter, whose kick ricocheted off a Skyhawks' defender and into a good spot for the sophomore transfer from Illinois State.
Freshman Lindsey Brochu led the Red Wolves with three shots and, one on net, and provided good pace for A-State in the midfield. Brochu, along with fellow freshmen Dana O'Boye, Julie Chamber and Annica Karlsson all made their debuts Friday afternoon.
UT Martin outshot the Red Wolves 12-9 on the afternoon, but Kelsey Ponder and Alexis Philippe combined for nine saves to preserve the shutout. Ponder made four saves in the first half, including a diving attempt with less than 10 minutes remaining in the half. Philippe also faced constant pressure, but was up the challenge and made five stops in 45 minutes of action.
A-State opens the regular season Friday, Aug. 19 against Missouri State at the A-State Soccer Park. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. and admission is free.
For the latest on the A-State women's soccer, log onto the team's Facebook page at Facebook.com/AStateSoccer and follow them on Twitter @AStateSoccer.
