Lady Roadrunners Earn Program’s First Conference Win
After a mere two weeks of play, both Angelina College soccer teams showed vast improvement in a conference doubleheader on Friday night. The Lady Roadrunners topped the Lady Dragons 2-0 for the program’s first-ever conference win, and the Roadrunners battled the Dragons to the final minutes before succumbing 2-1 at Jase Magers Field at Lufkin High School.
AC’s teams will offer another double dip at home on Saturday, with the Lady ‘Runners hosting Northeast Texas Community College at 5:30 p.m. and the ‘Runners facing NTCC at 7:30 p.m.
Lady Roadrunners 2, Paris College 0
The Lady Roadrunners etched another line in the AC history book, picking up the program’s very first conference win by shutting out the Lady Dragons 2-0 in Lufkin.
Lauren Martinez blasted home a free kick at the 34:42 mark of the first half, and Kennedy Sessions added a second-half goal – her third of the season – to lead the Lady Roadrunners.
Martinez’ goal soared over the Lady Dragon defense, which appeared to play the kick as a crossing pass into the box. Instead, the kick sailed high right into the back of the net.
The Sessions goal game after another Martinez boot. The ball struck the crossbar, and Sessions was there to send home the carom.
The win also gives the Lady Roadrunners (3-3, 1-1) a three-game winning streak.
Paris College 2, Roadrunners 1
In the end, the result came from the missed opportunities.
AC’s Roadrunners went neck-and-neck with the Dragons, getting a game-tying header from Luis Garcia just four minutes into the second half, only to see Paris’ Reagan Abbott finish off a sweeping goal with just 125 seconds to play in regulation to give the Dragons the 2-1 win in Lufkin.
AC outshot the Dragons 10-6 in each half, with several near misses that would prove the difference in the match.
Still, the effort was by far the Roadrunners’ best of the young season.
“We played well, and we got four of our starters back after they’d missed so many games,” head coach Freddy Drago said. “We’re just going to keep getting better.”
The Roadrunners (0-3, 0-2) host NTCC at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.