After a defensive stalemate against Houston Baptist, SHSU’s Luana Miessa managed to find the back of the net yet again as the Bearkats won 1-0 Tuesday night.
The win yet another shutout for the team, and pushes the current scoreless streak to a record 471 minutes. Anchoring the defense is sophomore goalie Jenny Pence, who recorded her fifth consecutive shutout after making six saves in the game.
“Jenny is playing better; she has more confidence and I think the team has a lot of confidence in her and that helps them play on the front foot a little bit where they’re not having to worry about things that are happening in behind them,” SHSU head coach Tom Brown said. “She’s definitely very key to our success right now.”
Despite each team having many opportunities to score in the first half, neither team seemed to be able to finish. Sam Houston accumulated nine shots on goal and forced four saves in the first half while HBU shot four times in the first half, forcing three saves. However, the inability to capitalize changed in the second half for the Bearkats.
Bearkat Deanna Long would help break the ice when her cross skipped into the goal box before Miessa tipped it past HBU backup goalie Randi Derringer in the 63rd minute for the 1-0 lead. After the goal, the intensity picked up but the score remained the same.
With the win, the Bearkats improved to 5-2 on the season as the Huskies fall to 5-4 overall.
Asked about what the win does for the confidence for the team, Brown said, “I hope it gives them some confidence. They’ve done very well. We’re very pleased with the progress we’ve seen this year. I think if you compare it to past years this team in a short time is achieving some very good things. They should be looking forward to going in and playing at Nicholls State. That’s a game where they have a chance to tie the most wins in the program’s history in the first game of conference.”
However, Brown is also cautious, stating, “They should be proud of themselves. They should be confident, but, at the same time, they need to understand that we’ve got to get better. As a coach you’re never happy until you play the perfect game, and you’re never [going to] play the perfect game so you’ve always got to get back out and keep working.”
The Bearkats will bring their win streak, shutout streak, and confidence on a tour of Louisiana as they start conference play against Nicholls State on Friday at 4 p.m. in Thibodaux, LA., and Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Hammond, LA.