BOX SCORE

POSTGAME INTERVIEW WITH COREY HOLTON

Abilene, Texas – Olivia Jablinski made three saves to set single-season school records for best save percentage and goals against average, but the Concordia University Texas women's soccer team was dealt a 2-0 loss by Texas-Dallas in the semifinal round of the American Southwest Conference Tournament.

After the beginning of the match was played evenly, Concordia began to seize the momentum after the 15-minute mark by earning three corner kicks and taking four consecutive shots. Kiera Ruck had a big opportunity to put the Tornados on the board first, but her shot taken from just outside of the box bounced off the crossbar and was cleared away.

Just four minutes after Ruck nearly scored, Texas-Dallas came back the other way and took the lead at the 31:11 mark. Emily Hokanson took a shot that was blocked before collecting her own rebound and finding the back of the net seconds later. Hokanson also helped the Comets double their lead when she came down the left side and found a cutting Leah Bowyer, who fired a shot past Jablinski from the edge of the box. The Comets outshot the Tornados in the second half, 6-0, to advance to tomorrow's final against nationally-ranked Hardin-Simmons with the shutout win.

Concordia's Jablinski turned away three of the 11 shots she faced in the losing effort. The first-year starter ended the year with single-season school records for best save percentage (.844) and goals against average (0.68) as well as single-season and career standards for most victories (14), most shutouts (8). Texas-Dallas' (16-3) Brittany Best made one save on four chances to earn the victory.

Concordia (14-6) completed its best season in school history. The Tornados set school records for overall wins (14), conference wins (10) and shutouts (11). The team also eclipsed a program standard for winning seven consecutive matches, while the defense went  a program-best 726:29 without surrendering a goal. The Tornados are slated to return 21 letterwinners, including eight starters, next season.

Notes: Concordia set a school record for overall wins for the third straight season under the direction of third-year head coach Corey Holton … The squad recorded 14 victories in 2011 after winning 10 in 2010 and five in 2009 during her first season … Seniors Lauren Browning, Hilary Wagner and Kiera Ruck, who were each four-year starters, will graduate as the program's all-time winningest class with 33 victories … They came into a program which had never won more than four matches in a single season and ended their careers with a combined 24 wins over the last two … Ruck will graduate as the program's all-time leader for goals scored and total points with 20 and 47, respectively … Browning and Wagner, who rank first and second all-time for games played, anchored a defense which posted 21 shutouts over the last two seasons, including 10 in 2010 and 11 in 2011 … The marks are the two best in school history … The Tornados are slated to return 21 letterwinners, including eight starters, next season along with over 90 percent of their goal scoring, two starting defenders and the starting goalkeeper.
-agate-
Concordia (14-6)           0     0     -     0
Texas-Dallas (16-3)      2     0     -     2

Concordia: Scoring – None. Goalkeeping – Olivia Jablinski (90:00, 2 GA, 3 saves).
Texas-Dallas: Scoring – Emily Hokanson (1-1), Leah Bowyer (1-0). Goalkeeping – Brittany Best (90:00, 0 GA, 1 save).