WICHITA, Kan. — With a lineup full of seniors playing their final game, the Newman women's soccer team got out to its best start of the season and held on during a late charge for a 4-3 victory over playoff-bound Lubbock Christian Saturday afternoon at Wilkins Field.
KEY SEQUENCE
With their offense recently finding a new stride, the Jets (7-6-5, 6-5-3, 21 pts Heartland) charged ahead with three first-half goals against the Chaparrals (8-4-5, 6-4-4, 22 pts Heartland). The biggest came with Erin Mink and Rosa Urista-Chico each connecting within 10 minutes of each other late in the period to send Newman into the break up 3-0.
SCORING PLAYS
14'-NU-Paige Thompson, assist Erin Mink. Mink floated a ball into the box from the left side, finding Thompson, who took one touch and slotted a shot past the keeper.
34'-NU-Mink, assist Thompson. The duo flipped roles for the second goal, as Mink had a nice run and found herself 1-on-1 with the keeper.
44'-NU-Rosa Urista-Chico, unassisted. The junior beat her defender with a deft touch and chipped a high shot inside the far post.
61'-LCU-Haley Knesek, penalty kick.
75'-NU-Morgan Foster, assist Vanessa Ortiz. Ortiz lofted a long ball from midfield, finding Foster behind the defense. A chip over the keeper was enough for the score.
84'-LCU-Hollie Windham, assist Ashley Ledford. Ledford's cross from the right side was met by a flying Windham, who knocked it home.
87'-LCU-Ledford, penalty kick.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Newman started out the Senior Day contest hot, as Cydney Padilla ripped a shot that was blocked in the second minute. Keeper Kelsi Langley made a pair of nice saves, including one at point-blank range in the 11th minute.
-Paige Thompson got the Jets on the board with her first goal of the season in the 14th, and the hosts kept charging, as Urista-Chico got off a nice shot that forced a save in the 19th and just missed two more opportunities on offsides.
-The Jets narrowly missed out on going up 2-0 in the 30th, as Thompson's corner into the wind dropped at the foot of Mink, who got off a shot that was saved by LCU keeper Sarah Palmer. Mink got another chance three minutes later and made it 2-0 before Urista-Chico added to it on the final shot of the first half.
-Newman picked up a corner early in the second half, although it fell harmlessly to the ground. LCU followed a couple minutes later with a shot from close range, but Langley was there for the save.
-The Chaps managed to get on the board with a penalty kick in the 62nd, but it took just over 12 minutes for Vanessa Ortiz to slip a ball ahead to Foster to make it a 4-1 game. Two goals in the final six-plus minutes made the Jets work to maintain the advantage.
NOTES
-The Jets outshot the Chaps 12-9, including 9-3 in the first half. They were also whistled for offsides eight times to LCU's one.
-Foster's second-half goal gave the senior a four-game scoring streak to end her career. She netted five goals and added an assist in that span to reach eight goals on the season.
-While Newman missed the Heartland Conference postseason by one point, Saturday's win still locked up its first winning season since going 10-8 in 2010.
-The offensive outburst in the final two weeks of the season was one of the best in the program's Division II history. You have to go back to 2008 to top the Jets' current run of 10 goals in three games. They netted 12 in three games late that season.
