Soccer: Louisiana Opens 2020 Season With Shutout Win Over ACU, 2-0
Mayfield with goal, assist in debut; DeBlieux adds goal in first season-opening win since 2014
Next Game:
vs. South Alabama
9/6/2020 | 7 p.m.
LAFAYETTE – On the field for the first time in 301 days and playing one of the first athletic events on campus since March 11, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Soccer team used goals from newcomer Lizzie Mayfield and senior captain Julianne DeBlieux to post a 2-0 victory over Abilene Christian before a crowd of 563 on Friday at the Ragin’ Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility.
Lizzie Mayfield Julianne DeBlieux Jordan Higgins
Jordan Higgins pitched a shutout in goal for Louisiana (1-0-0) in her debut, stopping four shots overall and helping the Ragin’ Cajuns post its first season-opening victory since a 1-0 win over Sam Houston State on Aug. 22, 2014.
And in a year that has forced many schools to postpone athletic competition until Spring 2021, not even a 45-minute weather delay in the 87th minute due to lightning in the area could stop Louisiana or ACU (0-1) from getting the season-opening match in.
Mayfield, playing in her first match as a Ragin’ Cajun after two years at Big 12 school West Virginia, gave Louisiana all the scoring it would need in the 18th minute when she blasted a shot from the top of the 18-yard box past ACU goalkeeper Erin Smith into the upper right corner of the goal.
The junior would assist on Louisiana’s second goal of the match when her crossing pass from the left side deflected off an ACU defender and found the foot of DeBlieux, who beat Smith with a shot in the upper left corner for her first goal since 2018.
Louisiana held a 10-6 advantage in shots in the match and a 6-5 advantage in corner kicks.
Smith added four saves for the Wildcats, who finished 12-5-2 last season and is scheduled to play four matches during the fall before resuming Southland Conference play in the spring. Natalie Jones attempted a pair of shots for ACU, including one on goal while Alyssia Anuat, Natalie Wodka and Brianna Diaz each attempted shots on goal.
Louisiana will return to action on Sunday when it travels to Foley, Ala., to face Sun Belt Conference rival and defending league champion South Alabama at the Foley Sports Complex. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., with live stats available at CajunStats.com.
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