HOUSTON – Senior
Megan Rickert picked an opportune time to score her first career goal, finding the net with a beautiful goal from outside the 18-yard box with just 10 seconds left in regulation and
Noor Abukishk sent the HBU women's soccer team home with a 2-1 overtime win over Abilene Christian at Sorrels Field on Friday evening.
The first half saw the visiting Wildcats (5-5-1, 1-3-0 SLC) attempt seven shots to the Huskies' (2-6-1, 2-4-0 SLC) four. ACU had the first shot on goal of the game in the 21
st minute but HBU keeper
Karla Ramirez was able to easily corral it for the save. The Wildcats got on the board in the 34
th minute on a foul in the penalty area which set up Natalie Wodka for an attempt from the spot which she converted and sent the game to halftime with HBU trailing 1-0.
The Huskies came out and looked the more dangerous team in the second half from the start with
Bryce Reynolds putting a header and a rebound attempt on target off of a corner kick within the first two minutes. HBU kept the attempts coming as the half wore on, totaling 18 shots with seven of those on goal. ACU keeper Erin Smith was able to keep it at 1-0 for nearly a full 90 minutes until HBU's pressure paid off with just 10 seconds on the clock. The Wildcats defense tried to clear a ball out of the 18-yard box and the clearance went right to Rickert who wasted no time letting fly and blistering her shot into the top left corner with little room to spare.
Freshman
Mia Salas very nearly ended things in the 94
th minute, sneaking a shot from a tight angle past Smith but the spin on the ball after deflecting off Smith kept it out long enough for an ACU defender to clear it out.
Kat Lazor also had an attempt on target in overtime before the Wildcats earned a corner in the 96
th minute. A Natalie Jones shot missed high at the 96:18 mark and less than a minute later
Ryan Ford had an attempt easily scooped up by the keeper. In the 99
th minute, Ford sent a pass into the middle to
Avery Cortez who then setup Abukishk to slide in and sneak the game-winner off the hand of Smith and into the goal.
Rickert, a redshirt senior defender, had gone 60 games and more than 5,000 minutes played without a goal before scoring the tying goal. Abukishk, meanwhile, netted her second goal of the season and leads the Huskies with seven points on the season. The assists were the first of the season for both Cortez and Ford. In goal,
Karla Ramirez finished with a pair of saves in earning the win.
HBU attempted a season-high 26 shots with 11 of those on goal. The Huskies' defense allowed just four shots on goal and 13 total.
HBU will remain at home for its next two games beginning on Friday, Mar. 19, at 7:00 p.m. when the Huskies host Sam Houston.
