Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Houston
Women's Soccer Halted by Houston, 3-0
11/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 3, 2010
ORLANDO, Fla. - Marshall women's soccer's 2010 campaign ended in the opening round of the Conference USA tournament, as Houston notched three second half goals, en route to a 3-0 victory against the Herd on Wednesday night at the UCF Soccer Complex.
The Thundering Herd departs its first C-USA tournament and concludes its season with a 7-9-3 record, while the Cougars (12-4-4) move on to Friday's semifinal contest against Memphis, scheduled for 5 p.m.
The Herd kept Houston scoreless entering the break, despite being outshot 12-1 in the opening stanza.
The Cougars continued its aggressive play and was finally rewarded in the 50th minute on a Sami Sackos rebound. The game-winner is Sackos's fifth goal of the season and came off a Lauri Byrne shot.
Byrne would add insurance from 19 yards out, in the72nd minute to put Houston on top 2-0.
Jessica Zavalza would strike for the Cougars third and final goal, just 1:15 later. Thulin earned her second assist of the night on the play.
Goalkeeper Lexa Hughes (Everett, Wash.) registered eight saves in the losing effort. Houston keeper grabbed her ninth shutout of the season, with four saves in the contest.
MU bids farewell to its five graduating seniors; Kristen Berquist (Highland Village, Texas), Erika Duncan (Easthaven, Scotland), Emma Harrison (Christchurch, New Zealand), Marisa Leconte (Greer, S.C.) and Meghan Wetzel (Aiken, S.C.).
Duncan exits Marshall as the programs all-time leading scorer with 28 career goals. The two-time All-Conference second team selection holds Herd records in points (64), game-winning goals (7), shots (140), multiple goal matches (3), assists (8) and matches played (71).
Harrison concludes her MU career having started in 71 of her 74 matches, each placing her in second in the record books.
Berquist, Harrison and Duncan each earned post-season honors for their efforts both on the field and in the classroom this season.
"We really wanted to go further in the tournament but we had a lot of girls receive awards and while making our first Conference USA tournament, so a lot of success game from the season," head coach Kevin Long said.
