RICHARDSON, TX (11.03.15) - Freshmen
Amanda Avalos and
MaKayla Forsberg each scored as the UT Dallas women's soccer team defeated LeTourneau at home Tuesday in the opening round of th 2015 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament.
The Comets (now 14-7) will face top-seeded and No. 9-ranked nationally Texas-Tyler at 11 a.m. Friday on the campus of Hardin-Simmons in Abilene. With the loss, LeTourneau had its season come to an end with an 8-8-1 record.
Avalos opened the scoring in the 11th minute as she tallied from 15 yards out as she accepted a pass from the right from teammate
Jessica Rusk and slipped a shot under LETU starting keeper Bridey Davis. The goal was Avalos' third of the season. The YellowJackets countered in the 27th minute as Stephanie Vana scored the equalizer on a free kick from after Comet keeper
Monica Dallacasa was called for a hand ball by reaching out of the penalty box. Vana's free shot cleared the UTD wall and sailed past a diving Dallacasa into the left side netting.
With just 14 seconds left in the first half, however, the Comets would get the game-winner from Forsberg as he took two shots off of LETU defenders before putting her third strike past Davis. It was Forsberg's fourth goal of the season and the first game-winner of her career.
The Comets finished the night with 25 shots, eight on goal, with
Megan Mugavero leading the way with five shots, three on goal. Forsberg and
Melissa Fulfer each took four shots while Rusk and and
Jacqueline Kaufman each added three shots. Dallacasa ended the game with two saves in a full 90 minutes in goal.
For LETU, Davis played the opening half in goal and made three saves while giving up two goals. Brittany Hollis took over at half the played a scoreless 45 minutes, making three saves of her own. The YellowJackets took nine shots, three on goal, with Vana leading the way with four shots.
In other ASC Tournament action, Texas-Tyler held off eighth-seeded East Texas Baptist, 4-2, to advance to Friday's meeting with the Comets. UTT edged the Comets, 1-0, during the regular season. Second-seeded Hardin-Simmons downed No. 6 seed Concoiida Texas, 2-0, and third-seeded Mary Hardin-Baylor slipped by seventh-seeded Ozarks, 1-0. HSU and UMHB will play Friday's second semifinal at 2 p.m. The ASC title game is set for 1 p.m. Sunday.
UTD will be playing the semifinal round of the ASC Tournament for the 14th straight season and will look to advance to the league title game for the 11th time in program history.
