Box Score

ABILENE, Texas – Lubbock Christian University's Lady Chaps defeated the McMurry women's soccer team 7-1 in McMurry's season opener Wednesday afternoon at Edwards Field. Amber Brown-Longoria scored a hat trick for the Lady Chaps to help the first-year program start the season 2-0.

McMurry kept the match manageable in the first half as LCU scored goals in the 23rd and 33rd minutes by Peta-Gay Soman and Priscilla Brannon respectively. However, the Lady Chaps unloaded in the second half with two quick goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

All in all, Longoria's three goals came in the second period while Soman and Brannon each had two goals. Soman also assisted LCU's final goal of the match in the 78th minute while Esther Ruiz and Misty Sides each picked up assists for the Lady Chaps.

The silver lining of the match for McMurry came in the 86th minute when Chelsey Slay scored an unassisted goal for the team's first score of the season. She scored unassisted dribbling past the keeper and knocked it in.

“There might have been circumstances last season where this team would have given up, but they kept battling and we got a goal in the end,” said first-year McMurry coach Alan Riches. “We're going to take the little victories where we can get them, and the fact that they played very, very hard despite the 7-1 loss, they never gave up on each other and I'm pleased with the effort.”

LCU out-shot McMurry 39-6; the home team landed three of its shots on goal in cluding the score by Slay. LCU's starting goal keeper kept McMurry scoreless and recorded two saves while Berkley Albracht surrendered the goal.

For McMurry, starter Hillari Chambers recorded nine saves despite allowing four goals and Bianca Van Osdol recorded two saves and gave up three goals.

McMurry will play host to Wayland Baptist at 2 p.m. Friday at Edwards Field.