The Cajuns battled Western Kentucky to a 1-1 tie.

Soccer  10/21/2007   Courtesy RaginCajuns.com

 

LAFAYETTE-Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns women’s soccer team honored seven seniors before their match with Western Kentucky and then proceeded to battle the Hilltoppers for 110-minutes to a 1-1 double-overtime tie.

 

Western Kentucky entered the match with a 12-1-1 record and a perfect 7-0-0 Sun Belt Conference mark, but the Cajuns (7-6-4, 3-2-3 SBC) fought hard as a team and played one of the best teams in the conference even for 110-minutes. 

 

“That was the kind of effort you want on senior day,” head coach Scot Wieland remarked after the match.  “What more can you ask for than that kind of team effort.  Obviously you want to win on senior day, but that effort…that’s a win. That team effort will carry us through the next three matches.”

 

The effort was evident in the first half.  The Cajuns fell behind 1-0 after a Danielle Hogue goal in the 28^th minute of the match.  Hogue took a pass and from Kristi Cocchiarella and beat the Cajuns defenders to the goal to give the Toppers the lead. 

 

The Cajuns responded with a goal of their own roughly four minutes later.  Kelli Jestes netted her team-leading seventh goal of the season off of a cross by senior Stephanie Lynch. 

 

The goal placed Jestes into the Cajuns’ top-five in career goals and placed the freshman in a tie with Ashley Delahoussaye (2000-2003) for second place for most goals in a season. 

 

The assist for Lynch gave the senior eight in her career, tying her with Jenny Brown (2001-03, 2005) for second place in career helpers. 

 

The Cajuns finished the first half with 12 shots compared to just four by Western Kentucky, but found themselves tied at 1-1. 

 

In the second half, the two teams played even for 45-minutes.  The Hilltoppers took six shots in the second half compared to four by the Cajuns. 

 

Senior goalie Kristen Malen made four saves in the second stanza holding WKU to just the one goal. 

 

The two teams finished regulation deadlocked at 1-1 forcing overtime.  In the first overtime, the two teams both took two shots and in the second overtime, Western Kentucky edged the Cajuns 2-to-1 in shots. 

 

Callie Oliver and senior Bridgette Adorno paced the team with three shots a piece including three shots on goal each. 

 

The senior class combined for six shots, including four shots on goal and an assist.  The rest of the Cajuns’ squad tallied 13 shots with six shots on goal and a goal. 

 

“We came out on the field today saying, ‘no matter what happens today, we are not letting them win,’” Lynch commented of the match.  “The seniors were definitely excited to play and I thought the underclass performed great today.  They fulfilled every expectation the seniors had of them.”

 

Six of the seven Cajuns seniors started the match for UL.  Erin Thompson was the lone senior who did not compete as she sustained a season-ending injury earlier in the year, but she did compete in pre-match ceremonies honoring the seniors. 

 

“Every one of them contributed in their own way,” Wieland said of his senior class.  “They are women that have put their heart and soul to this program.  Seniors like these are what good programs and great traditions are made of.”