STARS STOP STREAKING RAMS
November 3, 2006

FORT WORTH, TX:  The Texas Wesleyan University women’s soccer team (9-8) had its six game winning streak snapped in the Region VI Quarterfinal on Friday.  Oklahoma City University (14-4-1) scored a pair of goals against a Rams team that had not allowed an opponent to score in 598 minutes of play and earned a 2-1 win at Martin Field.

An outstanding crowd got what they wanted early.  After a handball was called against Oklahoma City in the box, Brianna McKernon converted a penalty kick to give the Rams a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute.

In the 29th minute, the Rams were trying to clear the ball when Haley McIntosh settled it and tied the game at one.

Just 39-seconds into the second half, the Stars struck again.  Sarah Leonard found Jessica Caudle for the eventual game-winner.

An otherwise outstanding match from both teams was marred midway through the second period when Texas Wesleyan’s Shannah Bohon and Oklahoma City’s Lateesha Hunter got tangled up while going for the ball.  Hunter threw several punches while Bohon was still down and was subsequently given a red card.

It turned out that the Rams had a man advantage for only 1:39 because Bohon received a second yellow card and the two teams played the remainder with ten players each.

In the 65th minute, Allie Heafner played a corner kick into the box, and Nicole Richardson came inches from tying the game.  Unfortunately Richardson’s header hit the crossbar.  The Rams managed several more chances, but could not level the match.

Texas Wesleyan led 14-9 in shots, but Oklahoma City held a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal.  Brittany O’Brien made five saves for the Rams while her counterpart Alycia Allenby made three saves.

Afterward, head coach Josh Gibbs said that it was a great game by two very good teams.  “Our kids left it on the field and that’s all I asked of them,” Gibbs said.  “There was never a second that we weren’t in it.  I’m endlessly proud of them.  From August to now they gutted it out and never failed to believe in themselves and the team.”

The 2006 Lady Rams recovered from a 3-7 start by going on a record-breaking streak.  Texas Wesleyan rolled to their second consecutive Red River Athletic Conference Championship by rattling off six consecutive shutout victories, which marked a record for both consecutive wins and consecutive shutouts.