Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic
2-6, 1-0-0
Arkansas State
4-4-1, 0-1-0
Women's Soccer Wins Sun Belt Opener
9/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 24, 2010
Boca Raton, Fla. - The Florida Atlantic University women's soccer team could not have written a better script to open Sun Belt Conference play action, getting a 1-0 victory over Arkansas State University on Friday at the FAU Soccer Stadium in Boca Raton.
FAU won its second straight match and now stands 2-6 on the season and 1-0 in conference play while Arkansas State falls to 4-4-1 this fall and 0-1 in the league. The Owls will return to the stadium on Sunday, September 26 at noon against the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
"Winning home matches is always a key to being successful in conference play," said Brian Dooley, FAU's head women's soccer coach. "We defended strong throughout much of the game and came away with an important victory. We continue to build some positive momentum."
The victory was the first in a conference opener for the Owls since 2007 when they defeated Middle Tennessee State University 2-1.
The Owls grabbed the lead in the 11th minute following a foul near midfield by Arkansas State. Senior defender Janelle Blake played the long ball into the 18-yard box. Freshman forward Jesse Shugg came in to command control of the ball and kick it into a wide open net. The Burlington, Ontario, Canada native scored her third goal of the season and second straight match to tie for team-high honors.
"I was in line on the free kick, with the defense, when Janelle Blake's free kick came into the box," Shugg recalled. "I got to the ball right before the goalkeeper and was able to get my right foot on the ball."
FAU almost broke the game opener at the beginning of the second half when a shot by freshman forward Alexandra Major hit the right goalpost. Senior forward Laura Hyvonen was there for the rebound but her shot was just wide of the goal.
The Owls had another good scoring chance in the 62nd minute when Shugg managed to get behind the defense and was one-on-one with Arkansas State's goalkeeper Susan Brown. However, Brown turned away the shot to keep the score at a one-goal margin. Brown made seven saves to keep the Red Wolves in the match.
Both teams had 11 shots a piece but FAU outshot the visitors by a 7-4 margin in the opening period and had eight of its 11 shots on goal.
"Arkansas State possessed the ball a little more than us," Dooley noted. "For the shots to be even is a positive for us."
Shugg paced the Owls' offensive attack with three shots while sophomore forward Allison Griffin, Hyvonen and Major each had two shots.
"Coach Dooley gave us the message `Happy New Year' with a bunch of zeros and told us that the start of Sun Belt Conference play offers us a new opportunity," said Shugg after the match. "We are building confidence and learning from our previous mistakes."
Redshirt freshman Courtney Zwetsch recorded four saves in goal and celebrated her first career shutout.
"Courtney is gaining confidence with every game she plays," said Dooley. "Her 5-foot-11 height is such an asset. She is now taking advantage of that size."
Live statistics of Sunday's match can be viewed at www.fausports.com.
Team Stats
Shugg, Jesse (3)
Assisted By: Blake, Janelle
Long ball played on indirect kick, finis
11:06
