Away from the friendly confines of Wescott field, the women’s soccer team (7-6-3, 3-2-3 in C-USA) was able to return home with a winning record after holding East Carolina to a 0-0 draw Friday night followed by a 1-0 win versus Marshall Sunday.
The first of the two contests was a defensive battle as both SMU and E. Carolina missed on several opportunities. The Mustangs was unable to cash in on any of its 16 corner attempts, including five during the extra periods.
Where the offense could not break through, the defense was up to the task as sophomore goalie Lauryn Bodden allowed zero goals through the entirety of the match and extra time.
SMU’s strong performance supported Bodden. As 14 shots were attempted by the Pirates, only two of which were directed on goal.
Senior midfielder Mallory Baum contributed largely throughout the course of the game on offense for the Mustangs, attempting a team-high four shots on goal in 115 minutes of action.
Baum’s best opportunity for a score came late in the first period of overtime as her shot bounced off the crossbar and away from goal, according to smumustangs.com.
Neither team could break through in the final overtime as SMU added another draw to its record at 6-6-3 going into Sunday’s match against C-USA rival Marshall.
The Mustangs’ finished its fourth consecutive road game with a defensive clinic, allowing seven shots total: only four of which were on target for goals.
The lone score came from sophomore Olivia Elliot in the 19th minute of action, ending the 174 minutes without a SMU goal. Elliot’s goal was her fifth overall and first game-winner of the season.
After the early lead was gained, SMU fought to maintain it for the remainder of the game as Bodden recorded a second-consecutive shutout and fourth of the season.
The win gave the Mustangs a winning record for the first time since late August, as the team is now 7-6-3.
The final homestand will begin this weekend as the Mustangs prepare for a match on Friday against the University of Alabama at Birmingham at 7 p.m.
