Crusaders Defeat Texas Lutheran in SCAC Tournament on Friday

Crusaders Defeat Texas Lutheran in SCAC Tournament on Friday

(Photo Courtesy of Southwestern University Athletics)

GEORGETOWN, Texas – Two goals in the final 22 minutes lifted No. 4-Seeded University of Dallas women's soccer team over No. 5-Seeded Texas Lutheran University in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Quarterfinal on Friday afternoon at host school Southwestern University.

Both teams played a level game most of the way until Elisa Duran (Pomona, Calif.) lifted the Crusaders (10-6-2) in the 68th minute off a set piece. Alyssa Mencacci (League City, Texas) provided some insurance on a long strike at the 84:04 mark.

Olivia Severson (La Crosse, Wis.) stopped all five shots faced to preserve her eighth clean sheet on the season and second against the Bulldogs (7-9-2). Both results against TLU in 2019 were 2-0, and this marks consecutive SCAC Quarterfinals that Dallas has eliminated the Bulldogs.

There were quick chances for both sides as UD started the match with a shot on goal by Monica O'Donnell (Lincoln, Neb.). The Bulldogs got the next shot by Samantha Martinez that went wide but was a good scoring look early on. Teams ended up scoreless at intermission with the Crusaders holding a 6-3 shots advantage. TLU had one more save (3-2) and the teams were even in corner kicks with one apiece.

Out of the break, the Bulldogs started hot with two shots on goal and a corner kick between them. Texas Lutheran also had an offside called on them.

Dallas' Maddie Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas) fired off the first shots for the higher-seeded Crusaders, but was stopped by a defensive save by Raquel Morris and then goalie Madison Stout.

At 67:17, Duran took a long free kick from the right side of the field and got the bounce to go high across to the other side of the netting. None of the field players could rotate quickly enough for a deflection, and Stout was unable to make a leap. Duran notched her fourth goal of the season and in the second match in a row. Duran also had the winning PK last season, as she was credited the eventual game-winner on Friday.

TLU came close to an equalizer two minutes later as Mariela Candelario's shot hit the post. There was another offside and shot saved by Severson for the next chances for the Bulldogs prior to Mencacci putting in her eighth season goal with around five minutes remaining.

The recently named 2019 SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year fired a long strike from near the top of the box and landed it just inside the upper left corner of the goal. Mencacci ended a five-game scoring drought, as she added to her team-high on the campaign.

Both sides ended up with seven shots in the second half and had six saves. The Bulldogs earned two extra corner kicks (3-1) in that stanza. Rodriguez led all UD players with three shots and tied a game-high. Eight different players for the Crusaders logged a shot attempt and six landed one on target.

Stout finished with five saves for the Bulldogs in the setback.

Dallas matched its highest total of wins (10) since the 2014 season. The Crusaders will play in their fifth SCAC Semifinals Match on Saturday. The shutout in the tournament counts as the fourth by the Crusaders since making it a first time in 2012.


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Dallas advances to face top-seeded Trinity University tomorrow at 11 a.m. The Crusaders are 0-2 in SCAC Tournament matches versus the Tigers, but have not met since 2013 in a league postseason match.