Cardinals Edge Jackets in Defensive Struggle (10/21/05)
Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, TX –Incarnate Word clinched the top seed in the Heartland Conference women’s soccer tournament with a 1-0 victory over Montana State-Billings Friday night.  The Cardinals improved to 10-3-2 overall and remained unbeaten in conference play at 3-0-1.  MSU Billings dropped to 9-4-1 overall and 2-1-0 in the conference. 

The Yellowjackets will finish their regular season conference schedule Sunday at St. Edward’s in Austin.  A win would secure the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament for the Yellowjackets.  The four participants in the tournament have already been determined with two regular season games remaining to determine seeding.  In addition to the Jackets’ game at St. Edward’s on Sunday, St. Ed’s will play at St. Mary’s on October 26.  Incarnate Word, MSU Billings, St. Mary’s, and St. Edward’s will meet in the conference championship tournament in Austin November 3-5.

Friday night’s game, the Yellowjackets’ first under the lights this season, was decided on a goal just 6:34 into the contest.  The Cardinals’ Callye Lawrence beat the Yellowjacket defense for her third goal of the season.  Neither team really threatened from that point.

“We started really slow for the first 15 minutes or so, and they made us pay for it,” said Yellowjacket coach Don Trentham.  “We picked it up toward the end of the first half.  Both teams are good defensive teams and nobody could put up much of an attack.  When you give up a goal early like that you’re left chasing the whole game.  We played well; Incarnate Word was just the better team tonight.”

Each team recorded just three shots on goal in the game.  Yellowjacket goalkeeper Megan Plank (Jr., Phoenix, AZ) made two saves while her counterpart Amy Menagaz made three.  The Jackets’ Ally Stroup (Jr., Ojai, CA) had two of the team’s three shots on goal.  Freshman Mandy Ploskonka (Fr., Federal Way, WA) had the other.

MSU Billings will play at St. Edward’s in Austin at 2:30 on Sunday.  They’ll wrap up the trip on Tuesday with a non-conference regional game at Angelo State in San Antonio on Tuesday.