MONROE, La. – Tied 1-1 in the 77th minute, freshman Somer Anderson knocked in the game-winner and freshman Jenna Pillon registered her third multi-goal game of the season to lead ULM to a 3-1 victory over Northwestern State on Sunday at the ULM Soccer Complex.
Anderson's goal came off a ULM (3-4) free kick as freshman Mary Ashton Lembo placed it in the right spot. Anderson controlled it left of the goal, aimed for the far post and put it past the keeper for her first career score.
“Lembo put in a really good free kick that landed at my feet and I took a touch and scored,” said Anderson, a Soso, Miss. product. “This win today was very important. We not only stepped it up one notch but we took a big leap.”
Pillon scored two goals for the second consecutive game. After heading into halftime 0-0, the Warhawks scored on Pillon's first in the 49th minute. Freshman Haley Rodriguez got it started with a pass off to sophomore Karlea Fehr who placed a beautiful cross to Pillon. The Long Beach, Calif., native received it in front of the goal and finished on the right side.
The Warhawks tacked on an insurance goal in the 89th minute when Pillon was able to break lose and score with a powerful shot. Passes from junior Cerene Arsenault and freshman Kylie Kukowski gave the ball to Pillon in the middle of the field and she dashed all the way down the center and blew it past the keeper.
Pillon, who was named the College Sports Madness Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, has scored seven of ULM's 19 goals on the season.
“I've just had a lot of heart and a lot of good balls from my teammates. We knew this was an important game and we wanted to leave it all out on the field,” Pillon said.
ULM started nine freshmen for the fourth consecutive game and 13 played in the game. Freshman Nancy Kirk posted a game-high three shots on goal.
Sophomore Mariah Mitchell came in as a spark off the bench for the Warhawks and her 22 minutes in the second-half created opportunities and aided the two late goals. Fellow classman Fehr put two shots on target.
Arsenault played all 90 minutes as well as freshmen Cameron Stoker, Amanda Borstelmann, Whitney Tuckfield and Lembo.
Northwestern State (1-5) scored in the 49th minute, just 39 seconds after ULM's first strike to tie the game, 1-1. It appeared as if ULM goalkeeper Holly Mallinson may have had both hands on the ball, but NSU's Brooke Eastburg was able to kick it free and score.
Mallinson made nine saves in net and played the full 90 minutes.
The Warhawks will look to stay unbeaten on their four-game home stand next weekend when they host Southeastern Louisiana at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and Southern at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. They won the first game on Friday 4-0 over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
