Championship Flashback: Huge Weekend Starts Off the Right Way

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University women's soccer team entered the weekend of Oct. 25, 2019 in fourth place in the Conference USA standings with three matches to go. But the Owls could make up the ground quickly, as two home matches in the span of three days would come against teams in front of them.

The weekend began on Friday, Oct. 25, with FAU hosting North Texas, winners of four of the previous five C-USA regular season titles, including sharing that crown with the Owls in 2018. Today is the sixth of a series of eight features looking back at the path to the Owls' 2019 C-USA championship. For the original recap of this match, click HERE.

Championship Flashbacks (Click to View Previous Links)
1. FAU 4, Marshall 0 – 9/19/19
2. FAU 2, UAB 1 – 9/29/19
3. FAU 3, Southern Miss 1 – 10/6/19
4. FAU 2, UTSA 1 – 10/11/19
5. FAU 3, Middle Tennessee 1 – 10/20/19
6. Today – FAU vs. North Texas – 10/25/19
7. Tomorrow – FAU vs. Rice – 10/27/19
8. FAU vs. FIU – 11/1/19

FAU 1, North Texas 0 – 10/25/19

A penalty kick goal in the 56th minute made for all the scoring in this back-and-forth affair, and allowed the Owls to leapfrog the Mean Green in the C-USA standings. Cassidy Wasdin set a career high with seven saves in the clean sheet win.

Owls' Record: 6-1-1 in C-USA, 12-3-1 overall

FAU Scoring
55:38 VELTA, Pernille (penalty kick)

Coach Baker Then (Full video)
"For 'P' (Pernille Velta), a senior, to step up and be calm and cool and collected on the PK, we've been very good at just taking it game-by-game and staying in the moment. It wasn't our best soccer, but a lot of that has to do with the pressure that North Texas puts on you … at the conclusion of 90, we managed to find one and keep a clean sheet."

Coach Baker Reflects Back Now
"Both teams had double digit wins, both games had aspirations of that game putting them closer to first place and contention for the regular season title. We've done really well against them here. (North Texas) did everything we thought they would in the scout, and against them, there's going to be moments where you need to be brave and competitive, and I thought we were. And there's other moments where you have to execute, and I thought we did that too."

Key Moment or Stretch / Key Player – Luisa Daikeler
"There's really two key moments. Luisa (Daikiler) playing that great ball in the back space, for Mary (O'Hara) to get onto before being taken down in the box, and a deserved PK. And Luisa saving the goal (in the 65th minute), being in the right place at the right time to clear it off the line."

Standings – 3rd place, two points back

Next Up: Conclusion of this home double weekend – Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019 vs. Rice – Flashback will come tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 27

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