Oct. 28, 2004

Box Score

The West Texas A&M University Lady Buff women's soccer team battled the No. 23 University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos to a 1-1 tie Thursday afternoon at Edmond, Okla. in a Lone Star Conference match.

The draw moves WTAMU to 10-4-1 overall on the year, 4-3-1 in LSC action, keeping the Lady Buffs in fourth-place in the conference standings, but solidifying a spot in the LSC Tournament next weekend at Commerce, Texas. UCO is now 12-5-2 overall, 6-1-1 in the LSC, remaining in first-place.

Both WTAMU and UCO have one match remaining in the regular-season, and if the Bronchos can defeat Eastern New Mexico on Sunday, the Bronchos would be crowned regular season champs.

The Lady Buffs need to defeat Southwestern Oklahoma on Sunday and get some help from Midwestern State two opponents this weekend, Northeastern State on Friday and East Central on Sunday. An MSU win in either match would lock up the third seed for the Lady Indians. WTAMU's only hope of moving past MSU is if the Lady Indians lose one and tie one, or lose or tie both. Even if MSU wins one and loses one, that would force a tiebreaker with WTAMU, which the Lady Indians hold due to a 2-1 win over the Lady Buffs on Oct. 17.

Complete LSC Standings

Senior goalkeeper Jamie Roach and the WTAMU defense kept the Lady Buffs in the match, as UCO outshot WTAMU, 19-6, including 10-0 in the first half. The Bronchos had a 13-2 advantage in shots on goal. Roach made a season-high 12 saves in the match.

After a scoreless first half, UCO got on the board at the 66:53 mark on a penalty kick by Joy Habemann that deflected off Roach into the left side of the net.

WTAMU responded with an unassisted goal by junior forward Katie Henley in the 88th minute. For Henley, this week's LSC Offensive Player of the Week, it was her sixth goal in the last three matches and her 13th of the season.

WTAMU travels to Weatherford, Okla., on Sunday to take on last place Southwestern Oklahoma at 2 p.m. in the Lady Buffs' regular-season finale.