HOUSTON – HCU shut out visiting Northwestern State, 1-0, with freshman
Jasmine Diaz netting a second half game-winner in Southland Conference action on Sunday afternoon at Sorrels Field.
The Huskies (6-5-1, 1-1-1 SLC) were out-shot, 17-7, by the Lady Demons (6-3-3, 1-1-1 SLC) but had more attempts on goal with more dangerous looks than the visitors. Both teams earned six corners on the afternoon.
Haydan Erck gained possession in the eighth minute following an HCU corner kick and dribbled in from out wide to the corner of the 18-yard box before unleashing a shot toward the top right corner but a diving Kennedy Rist deflected the shot clear of the goal.
Isabella Dillow had a shot blocked in the 15
th minute, recovering to take another attempt from close range but Rist made the stop. Shortly after, Diaz let fly from the top of the 18 but her shot banged off the top corner of the crossbar. NSU's lone shot on target in the first half came in the final five minutes but the attempt went straight at
Emmy McKeon.
The Huskies earned a corner kick less than five minutes into the second half with
Alexia Murillo handling the kick duties. She delivered a ball right into the keeper's box with
Cloe Baugh flicking it on to the feet of Diaz who knocked it home. McKeon was forced into a pair of saves during the 79th and 83rd minutes with the first a straight-forward attempt that she easily collected. The latter, however, was heading for the top shelf off the foot of Kendall Hemperley but McKeon got up and deflected it wide.
McKeon finished with three saves while recorded clean sheet number three of the season. The goal was the second of the season for Diaz and her first in conference play. Baugh and Murillo now have two assists each for the year.
The Huskies remain at home this coming Thursday, Oct. 2, evening at Sorrels Field for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff against UT Rio Grande Valley.
