HOUSTON – Shots weren't hard to come by for the HCU women's soccer team but it took more than 65 minutes for the Huskies to find the net in a 3-0 Southland Conference win over Nicholls on Friday evening at Sorrels Field. Houston Christian University (HCU), formerly Houston Baptist University (HBU), underwent a name change in September 2022.
The Huskies (3-6-2, 3-2-1 SLC) and Colonels (2-11-1, 0-7-0 SLC) combined to pepper 20 shots in the direction of the goal with neither side finding luck. Of the 20 total shots, HCU put two on goal to Nicholls' one.
It was the second half when the Huskies started to take control of the game, limiting the visitors to just three shots while attempting 15. The first goal came in the 66
th minute off the foot of
Katie Marker. A
Mia Salas cross found
Isabella Cheek who quickly passed it to Marker at the top of the 18-yard box for a one-touch laser past the keeper inside the right post.
It then took less than a minute for
Ryan Ford to dribble right past a defender, find some space and beat the keeper high from 20 yards out. The Huskies' final goal of the evening came in the 84
th minute with a
Jordan Bushnell cross in front of the net was headed home by
Juliana Anchondo.
Marker's game-winner was her fourth goal of the season, leading the team, while it was number two on the year for Ford and the first for Anchondo. The Huskies and goalkeeper
Chloe Bagshaw have now recorded three-consecutive shutouts.
With all the results around the league on Friday, the Huskies moved up with fifth place in the conference standings with 10 points.
HCU will head to San Antonio, Texas on Sunday, Oct. 9, for a 1:00 p.m. rematch with UIW.
