Playing three games in five days is no easy assignment, but theSMU women’s soccer team (11-2-2, 4-0-1 WAC) was up for thetask.
The No. 20 Mustangs went 3-0 over the stretch, posting a win atRice on Friday, then defeating Tulsa Sunday afternoon and OralRoberts Tuesday night at Westcott field.
In the WAC games, SMU defeated Rice 3-2 and Tulsa 5-2.
Senior goalkeeper Amanda Jordan was named WAC defensive playerof the week after the weekend match-ups, allowing four goals in twogames but making eight saves in the victories. Jordan recorded herfourth shutout of the season Tuesday as the Mustangs beat OralRoberts 4-0.
SMU coach John Cossaboon said he was proud of the way his teamresponded to the physical challenge of three games in five days,especially during Tuesday night’s game.
“I was very happy with the way we started and theconsistency we played with the whole game,” Cossaboon saidTuesday. “We took [the fatigue] into account in ourtraining.”
“It was a long trip — we got home at 4 a.m. Saturdaymorning, and in the game on Sunday we were a little bitdead-legged, so we backed off a little bit on Monday. I thought welooked fit tonight. I like how they approached it.”
Sunday’s win over Tulsa was Cossaboon’s 100th careervictory as a college coach.
Along with their three opponents, the players had to fightfatigue as well.
“We just had to be really smart,” said freshmandefender Kimber Bailey who played every minute of every game.
“All we could do was go to school, go to practice and laydown, basically every day. But we weren’t fatigued today, soit worked really well.”
Led by Bailey, the SMU air attack is finally coming into itsown. Four of the 12 goals scored by the Mustangs came off ofsomeone’s head, three of those on Tuesday night.
Ashley Watson, a sophomore defender, scored the first goal ofher college career Tuesday night when she headed in a free kickfrom freshman Autumn Browning.
Watson made her way through the Oral Roberts defenders, gettingherself free to flick a header into the far side of the net.
The goal put SMU up 4-0, and it was Browning’s third pointof the evening and fourth in two games.
“It felt really good to finally score,” said Watson.”I think I was finally due.
“I’m like one for 100 on those, but I get my head onthe ball every time. I just never got one in. But I just dove forit and crossed my fingers. It was nice to score a goal.”
Bailey scored three goals in the three games, including the gamewinner at Rice, while her twin sister Krystal sat out, nursing aninjury. Olivia O’Rear scored four goals in the samestretch.
The team travels to UTEP this weekend to face the Miners at 8p.m. CST.
“El Paso is a hard trip,” Cossaboon said.”It’s a tough place to play. Not a lot of people get alot of very good results out there.
“So we’ll use it more as mental preparation of goingto a hard place on the road and seeing what we can do against avery good opponent.
“They’ve got everything depending on this match withus. It’s a good challenge.”
Their next home game is 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 27 when the teamhosts the Texas Longhorns.
The match against Texas is the final non-conference game for theMustangs, who close out the regular season the weekend of Oct.29-31 against Nevada and Boise State at Westcott Field.
