No. 1 Grambling State 3, No. 8 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0
Box Score
PRAIRIE VIEW, TX – The Grambling State University women’s soccer team extended its shutout streak to 750 consecutive minutes spanning eight consecutive matches including 11 of their last 12 on Thursday morning with a 3-0 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) quarterfinal match at the Prairie View A&M Soccer Complex.
Grambling State advances to face the winner of No. 4 Alabama State and No. 5 Prairie View A&M on Friday at 3 p.m. in a semifinal match up.
The teams had met just six days earlier on the home field of UAPB to close out the regular season with Grambling State winning by the same score of 3-0 behind a quick start in which the Lady Tigers scored twice in the opening half including one in the 16
th minute by Kaylee Holt.
The script changed in this one as the teams played a physical, scoreless first half with few looks on goal.
The top-seeded Lady Tigers (13-7) found their stride in the second half, coming out with more urgency and found feet.
Redshirt junior defender Florence David broke the scoreless tie in the opening two minutes of the second half with her first goal of the season. In the 67
th minute, sophomore forward Jasmine Smith dribbled down the left, drew in a pair of defenders and found freshman midfielder Kailey Pena on a cross for the goal to increase the lead to 2-0.
It marked the 10
th goal of the season for Pena, the Rio Rancho, N.M. native who finished the regular season second on the team in scoring for the regular season champion Lady Tigers.
On a throw in, senior midfielder Kaitlin Pardy found fellow senior Brittany Terry for the goal to make it 3-0.
Defensively, Rita Siaha and Hanna Johnson combined to earn the shutout, but the back line defense of Grambling State held the Lady Lions in check throughout as they faced just a single shot in the match.
Junior goalkeeper Sariah Orocu made three saves for UAPB (3-9-2).