Photo of Audrey Harlien courtesy of UMHB Athletics
BELTON — For the fifth-straight season, UMHB women’s soccer is heading to the ASC Tournament title game.
The Cru secured its spot in Saturday’s conference championship on Thursday night, defending its home field with a statement second half against ETBU. After going to halftime tied with the Tigers, UMHB answered with three unanswered goals in the final 45 minutes en route to a 3-0 shutout.
Key moment
In the 48th minute of the match, UMHB collected possession off an ETBU throw-in that landed near midfield, before Peyton Floyd sent the ball up the sideline and into the open field in the direction of the ETBU goal.
Audrey Harlien sprinted in pursuit of the 50-50 ball alongside ETBU midfielder Analissa Gutierrez, and despite plenty of contact in the chase for the ball, Harlien got to it first and stayed on her feet, while controlling possession. The freshman forward found herself in a one-on-one matchup with ETBU goalkeeper Cadence Tischler and fired a low shot from the left side that found its way into the back of the net.
That proved to be the go-ahead score, as Jayme Dowell (85th minute) and Gracie Ruthven (89th minute), then extended the lead with goals of their own late in the match.
Impactful contributors
Gracie Ruthven was a key part of UMHB’s attacking front all evening, with five shots, three of which were on goal, and put the statement finish on the win with her goal on an assist from Leila Cunningham. Ruthven’s six goals this season are a team-high.
Aubrey Tipton recorded her fourth clean sheet of the season at goalkeeper, making five saves.
Audrey Harlien’s go-ahead goal coming out of halftime gives the freshman four goals on the year, keeping her No. 2 on the team amongst UMHB’s scoring leaders. She also provided the assist on Dowell’s goal later in the second half, which marked Harlien’s first collegiate performance with both a goal and an assist in the same match.
Number to know
UMHB held firm control of the possession in both halves, staying aggressive against ETBU’s back line. That translated into 18 shots, with seven on goal. The Cru’s total number of shots was double that of ETBU, and in the second half, UMHB outshot the Tigers, 12-6. More chances lead to more scoring opportunities, and the Crusaders displayed that on Thursday evening.
What’s next?
UMHB advances to Saturday afternoon’s ASC title match at 4 p.m. in Belton, and unsurprisingly, will face No. 2 seed Hardin-Simmons with a spot in the NCAA Tournament on the line. HSU took down Howard Payne, 5-1, in a semifinal on Thursday. It marks the fifth season in a row in which the ASC Tournament final has featured UMHB and Hardin-Simmons.
