COMMERCE, Texas – No. 2 seed HCU women's soccer trailed for more than 60 minutes but a second half equalizer sent the game to overtime and, ultimately, a shootout that the Huskies won, 5-4, over No. 7 East Texas A&M at the Lion Soccer Complex on Tuesday evening in the opening round of the 2026 Southland Conference Tournament.
It took just over four minutes for East Texas A&M (4-7-8) to get on the board. The Lions earned a corner kick and Kristen Sueltz rose up and delivered a goal to the top right corner. East Texas had one additional shot on goal early and over the course of the first half was able to limit the HCU (9-3-8) opportunities to take a 1-0 lead into the half. The Lions held a 5-4 shot advantage in the half.
The Huskies began asserting themselves in the second half, attempting five shots in the half before finding the equalizer just over halfway into the period. The HCU game came following a throw-in toward the end line with Madison Stormberg chasing it down and sending a pass into the box in front of the goal that was redirected by Isabella Dillow and then Isabella Alamo knocked in her fourth goal of the year off a deflection of a defender. The Huskies put five more shots on target the rest of the half but neither team was able to get the winner.
HCU managed a pair of shots in the first overtime period without allowing the hosts a single shot. The tables turned in the second overtime, however, with the Lions attempting four shots to none for HCU.
In the shootout, East Texas went first with all-conference forward Allyson Reed missing high. The next four tries from both teams were good, to leave the shootout tied, 4-4. Stormberg's try in the fifth round was denied by a diving Emmy Finlinson. In the sixth round, Emmy McKeon made a save to give Lina Backhaus the chance to win it and her shot to the top left corner hit the net to push the Huskies on to the next round.
The defending SLC champion Huskies will take on No. 3 seed Northwestern State on Thursday, Nov. 12, evening at 12:00 p.m. with a trip to the championship match on the line.
