HOUSTON – HCU women's soccer put forth a suffocating effort en route to a 2-0 home victory over Southland Conference rival Stephen F. Austin on Thursday night at Sorrels Field to make it six-straight games without a loss, the longest unbeaten streak for the program since the 2018 season when the Huskies went seven-straight without suffering a loss.
The Huskies (6-3-3, 2-0-1 SLC) have not lost a match in more than a month with the last loss on the schedule occurring on Aug. 30, a 2-0 loss at SMU. HCU's longest unbeaten stretch in program history came during the 2014 when the Huskies went 8-0-2 down the stretch to close out the regular season and run through the SLC tournament for the program's first-ever SLC championship. The Huskies are currently atop the SLC standing with seven points, just ahead of a trio of teams with six points, including Northwestern State with a game in hand.
On Thursday evening, the first half was a bit slow to get going and saw the two teams manage just three total shots on goal. As a group, the Huskies attempted 12 shots with a number blocked by members of the SFA (4-9, 1-3 SLC) back line blocking them quickly. Isabella Alamo had a pair of shots on goal for HCU while the Ladyjacks' most dangerous look of the night came in the 45th minute off the foot of Alexa Alvarez in the form of a long-distance blast to the top right corner that Emmy McKeon was able to deflect over the crossbar.
After a scoreless first half, HCU took less than five minutes into the second stanza to get on the board. The Huskies earned a corner that was sent into the box by Mikaela Valentine, deflected straight up off an SFA defender and then knocked in to the goal by Jasmine Diaz. HCU continued to control the second half, spending very little time in their defensive third of the field. Goal number two came during the 66th minute when Valentine played a long ball across to the top of the box for Isabella Dillow who headed it on to Alamo who dribbled up a few steps before slotting it across and into the net to the bottom right corner. The Huskies didn't allow SFA a shot in the second half until the 84th minute.
HCU out-shot the visitors, 21-4, and put six shots on goal while allowing just two. McKeon made both saves to earn the clean sheet for her second shutout of the season. Diaz's goal was her second of the year while Alamo's was the first of her career. Valentine's assists were the first two of her collegiate career and Dillow's was her fourth of the season, which leads the Huskies and is tied for sixth-most in the SLC.
HCU has a week off before hosting Southeastern next Thursday, Oct. 8, at 5:00 p.m.
