HOUSTON – The Lady Tigers of Texas Southern University honored their senior players and their supporters in grand fashion Sunday as they defeated Mississippi Valley State 8-1 in the team's 2017 home finale.
Paige Hayward's hat trick in her final home match proved even more special as the Australian national tied school's all-time record for goals with her third of the day and the 24th of her Lady Tigers career in the 58th minute. Her assist on Lamauriel Johnson's goal in the 36th minute made Hayward the school's career leader in points.
Texas Southern (7-5-2) maintained its second-place position on the Southwestern Athletic Conference table as the Lady Tigers improved their league record 6-1-1. The win was the TSU's third consecutive triumph and fifth in the team's last six matches.
The visiting Devilettes (4-10-1) came to Houston with few reserves on their bench, and saw their league record fall to 2-4-1. Laadi Issaka's goal in the 85th minute spoiled TSU's shutout and ended Valley's streak of 292 minutes without a goal.
The Lady Tigers needed less than a half-hour to settle the match's end result. Alisa Holloway's one-touch strike off Briana Norwood's long throw-in gave the Lady Tigers a 5-0 lead in the 29th minute. Head coach Kathryn Saunders' side took a 6-0 advantage into halftime and led 8-0 by the hour mark.
Hayward wasted little time ensuring her parents' visit to the States would be an unforgettable trip. The striker opened the scoring by redirecting a corner kick from Kayla Smith into the back of the net in the match's fourth minute.
The striker from New South Wales was gifted a second goal when her shot off Johnson's pass into the penalty area went through Valley goalkeeper Rita Gyasi's hands in the 20th minute to give the Lady Tigers a 3-0 lead. That goal was preceded by Kelly Sanders' redirecting Rania Kablawi's free kick into the net in the match's ninth minute.
Freshman striker Sanders secured her second multi-point contest in eight days when she set up Johnson's first goal of the match in the 25th minute.
Though Hayward's play commanded the spotlight, she was not the only international – or even the only player from FIFA's Asian Football Confederation – to score for the home side Sunday. Rania Kablawi, an alumna of the United Arab Emirates' under-20 team, scored on a marvelous 38-yard free kick in the 53rd minute that hit the bottom of the crossbar before bouncing into the net.
Lost in TSU's offensive assault was the stellar play of the Lady Tigers' defense, which included 75 scoreless minutes anchored by Maya Turner. The senior from Monroe, La., was substituted in the final quarter-hour, and departed the field alongside Hayward to a standing ovation.
Turner, a four-year starter with the Lady Tigers, currently ranks in the school's career top ten lists in matches played (63, 10th), and starts (55, 7th). Her 4,600 career minutes played rank seventh among TSU players this decade.
After enjoying the fanfare from the Senior Day festivities, the Lady Tigers will set their sights on their final two matches of the regular season, beginning with a trip to nation's capital to face Howard on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics
Paige Hayward's hat trick in her final home match proved even more special as the Australian national tied school's all-time record for goals with her third of the day and the 24th of her Lady Tigers career in the 58th minute. Her assist on Lamauriel Johnson's goal in the 36th minute made Hayward the school's career leader in points.
Texas Southern (7-5-2) maintained its second-place position on the Southwestern Athletic Conference table as the Lady Tigers improved their league record 6-1-1. The win was the TSU's third consecutive triumph and fifth in the team's last six matches.
The visiting Devilettes (4-10-1) came to Houston with few reserves on their bench, and saw their league record fall to 2-4-1. Laadi Issaka's goal in the 85th minute spoiled TSU's shutout and ended Valley's streak of 292 minutes without a goal.
The Lady Tigers needed less than a half-hour to settle the match's end result. Alisa Holloway's one-touch strike off Briana Norwood's long throw-in gave the Lady Tigers a 5-0 lead in the 29th minute. Head coach Kathryn Saunders' side took a 6-0 advantage into halftime and led 8-0 by the hour mark.
Hayward wasted little time ensuring her parents' visit to the States would be an unforgettable trip. The striker opened the scoring by redirecting a corner kick from Kayla Smith into the back of the net in the match's fourth minute.
The striker from New South Wales was gifted a second goal when her shot off Johnson's pass into the penalty area went through Valley goalkeeper Rita Gyasi's hands in the 20th minute to give the Lady Tigers a 3-0 lead. That goal was preceded by Kelly Sanders' redirecting Rania Kablawi's free kick into the net in the match's ninth minute.
Freshman striker Sanders secured her second multi-point contest in eight days when she set up Johnson's first goal of the match in the 25th minute.
Though Hayward's play commanded the spotlight, she was not the only international – or even the only player from FIFA's Asian Football Confederation – to score for the home side Sunday. Rania Kablawi, an alumna of the United Arab Emirates' under-20 team, scored on a marvelous 38-yard free kick in the 53rd minute that hit the bottom of the crossbar before bouncing into the net.
Lost in TSU's offensive assault was the stellar play of the Lady Tigers' defense, which included 75 scoreless minutes anchored by Maya Turner. The senior from Monroe, La., was substituted in the final quarter-hour, and departed the field alongside Hayward to a standing ovation.
Turner, a four-year starter with the Lady Tigers, currently ranks in the school's career top ten lists in matches played (63, 10th), and starts (55, 7th). Her 4,600 career minutes played rank seventh among TSU players this decade.
After enjoying the fanfare from the Senior Day festivities, the Lady Tigers will set their sights on their final two matches of the regular season, beginning with a trip to nation's capital to face Howard on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics