Lions bounce back with DBU win

A curling shot by senior defender Evan Stanberry from just inside midfield proved to be the difference in an otherwise even contest, as A&M-Commerce (2-2) women's soccer beat DBU (3-2-1) at home 1-0 on Tuesday night.

The deciding goal – Stanberry's first in her collegiate career – came in the 59^th minute when freshman forward Jade Bell found Stanberry on the right wing. With DBU goalkeeper Kerry Edwards off her line, she could only jump at Stanberry's shot as it sailed over her head and into the middle of the goal.

The defender said she hit the ball forward hoping to find senior teammate Deovon Herrman for a header and was fortunate to have found the back of the net.

"I was just lucky that it dropped enough to hit and take advantage of the goalie being off the line," Stanberry said.

The goal was similar to the one St. Edward's scored last Sunday to beat the Lions 1-0, which Head Coach Neil Piper said was an unlucky loss. Piper said while he thinks the goal itself was lucky for A&M-Commerce, overall his team deserved the win.

"I think the goal was fortunate, I don't think us winning was lucky," he said. "Although the stats don't show it, I think we controlled a vast majority of the game, and probably deserved to be up a couple at the half, but we weren't. So, sometimes you need a break to get the lead, and luckily we got one."

Prior to this match, Dallas Baptist actually beat Central Missouri, a team the Lions lost to in their second game of the season, in a 1-0 decision away from home. Piper said he was happy to see his team able to squeeze a win out of such a tough opponent.

"These guys [DBU] have had a hard schedule," Piper said. "They lost to Abilene Christian in overtime, they beat West Texas, they beat Central Missouri, they beat Washburn; so, there only loss was to Abilene Christian, who I think is now in the top ten in the country. They're a good team, so for us not to play at 100 percent and still win, I'll take that."

Despite some quick shots early on for DBU, it was actually the Lions that had a more convincing first half. Mutliple times the DBU defense was put under pressure, but A&M-Commerce could not manage to find the back of the net.

Freshman defender Callie Annet had one of the best chances of the half when she went on a darting run forward. She left two opposing defenders in her wake before getting off a tame shot that rolled into Edwards's hands.

After that, freshman Jade Bell got behind the defense on the wing and got a cross off to sophomore Brionna Minde, but the shot was disrupted by a defender and sent wide. Bell's follow-up effort was blocked out for a corner.

Much of the play in the first half was concentrated in the midfield, with both teams finding it difficult to establish a presence in the attacking third.

After the goal put the Lions up in the second half, DBU's pressure at the other end intensified. A&M-Commerce senior goalkeeper Randi Hafele was forced off her line to dive in on Stephanie Harrison who was through on goal for a shot. The diving Hafele got close enough to knock the ball wide before it was eventually cleared.

As the second half went on, A&M-Commerce got more and more chances on goal. Bell nearly went from provider to scorer as Edwards was just ahead of her to bounce on Minde's cross into the box.

The win comes at a crucial time for the Lions, as they get set to start conference play against West Texas at home on Friday in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

"Losing those last two games kind of knocked us around," Stanberry said, "but coming into conference off a win against DBU, who has recently beat some really big teams, is big for us. It's a big confidence boost."