MONROE, La. ? A strong start turned into a nightmare finish for the Warhawk
soccer team in a 4-3 loss against Florida Atlantic at the ULM Soccer Complex in
Monroe, La. on Friday afternoon.
ULM (4-7-1, 1-3-1 Sun Belt) scored three straight
goals to open play and take the lead before FAU (2-8-1, 1-3-1 Sun Belt) was
able to rattle off four straight during a 14-minute stretch.
“We absolutely gave today's game away,” ULM
head coach Stacy Lamb said. “We did everything right for the first 40 minutes,
but just didn't finish. We have to learn how to win games instead of just play
well to begin them.”
The Warhawks grabbed the lead quickly after
sophomore Tiffany Bombard beat FAU keeper Jessica Badders for her team-leading
seventh goal of the season. Senior Jeana Chesnik blocked an Owl pass at
midfield and one-timed it up to an open Bombard for the score at the 4:01 mark.
ULM extended its lead to 2-0 in the 30th
minute. After a foul near the middle of the field senior Rachel Hobson lobbed
the free kick above the hands of the FAU keeper for her first score of the
season. Senior Kendall Dawkins made it a 3-0 game eight minutes later with her
second score of the season.
After the 3-0 lead the wheels fell off. FAU
scored two goals in a 22-second stretch less than a minute later to enter
intermission trailing 3-2.
Seven minutes out of the half Jannica Tjeder
scored the game-tying goal following a failed clearance. The game winner would
come two minutes later on a header by Jessica Mannarino.
ULM will look to regroup and get back in the
win column on Sunday when it faces Florida International at the 12 p.m. The
match against the Golden Panthers will signify the end of the team's annual
Parents' Weekend.
