HOUSTON, Texas | In a matchup for the top spot in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) women's soccer standings, Grambling State left little doubt on Friday night as GSU blanked host Texas Southern, 2-0, at Durley Stadium.
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"The team played inspired soccer tonight," Grambling State first-year head coach
Justin Wagar said. "It took us a little time to adjust to the turf, but we settled down and started moving the ball well and creating chances. Texas Southern is a quality team and it was a great match to watch."
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After a scoreless first half where Grambling State out-shot Texas Southern, 7-3, GSU broke through to break the tie in the 59th minute.
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Janee Harris received the ball outside the penalty area by
Kristy Melendez and
Kaylee Holt. Harris fired a shot past Texas Southern goalkeeper Tamryn Syron for the goal, giving Grambling State a 1-0 advantage.
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Grambling State (6-5-0 overall, 4-0-0 SWAC) put the game out of reach in the 76th minute with its second goal of the night off a counter attack.
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Holt collected the ball from La Nita Hughes and fired it past Syron to give GSU a commanding 2-0 lead.
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Turning Point
Grambling State controlled the first half and out-shot Texas Southern, 7-3. Sooner or later one of those shots would find the back of the net.
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That is exactly what happened in the 59th minute.
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Holt and Melendez combined to get Harris the ball and she made sure to slot it into the back of the net to break the
0-0 tie.
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Inside the Numbers
· Grambling State goalkeeper
Jordan Woodward finished with five saves, including three in the second half.
· Texas Southern goalkeeper Tamryn Syron registered three saves.
· Texas Southern held a 5-4 advantage in corner kicks.
· There were a combined 31 fouls.
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News & Notes
· For the first time this season, Grambling State won a game by more than a goal.
· Grambling State picked up its sixth win and has won four straight.
· Texas Southern fell to 4-5-2 overall and 3-1-1 in the SWAC.
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Up Next
Grambling State returns to action with a 1 p.m. match against Prairie View A&M in a SWAC contest on Sunday in Prairie View, Texas.
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