BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Louisiana Tech women's soccer team clinched a spot in the Conference USA tournament with a 2-1 win over Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton Sunday afternoon.
Emma Jones, the junior captain from Hutto, Texas, scored twice to earn Tech's third straight win. It is the first three-game win streak of the season and first three-game C-USA win streak since 2017.
LA Tech (6-7-3, 4-2-2 C-USA) got things started off an unassisted corner kick from Jones for her second goal of the season in the 23'. Tech would cling to a 1-0 lead into halftime despite FAU (7-7-3, 3-4-1 C-USA) earning some late first half chances.
After nearly 30 minutes of scoreless action in the second half, the Owls found their equalizer from Bri Austin in the 73'.
Tech would answer with their latest goal of the season in the 85', a right-footed rocket from Jones off the assist from freshman
Flavie Dube to put Tech back on top 2-1 and bring back three points from Florida.
FAU held a 12-5 advantage in shots, a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal and earned ten corners to only Tech's two, but the defensive play of Tech's backline and Jones' ability to capitalize on the timely chances earned the Techsters first-ever win over the Owls in Boca Raton.
Sydnee Korchak added another six saves in the match. She now has 72 for her 2022 campaign, which ranks No. 2 in Conference USA behind Rice's Bella Killgore (75).
Tech has scored in five straight matches for the first time this season, putting up ten goals over that span.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Steve Voltz…
"Absolutely unreal, we are finally starting to put these opportunities away and we are learning how to win. Our women have continued to show up and believe in the process and do everything they have been asked to do. We are finally getting rewarded for that work but we are definitely not done. We may be in the tournament and that is a great accomplishment, but we now set our sights on fighting for a top seed.
We have had every chance to use every excuse there is this season with all the injuries, the travel, and so on, but we haven't done that. We have continued to fight the only way we know how and that is what we will continue to do. Our staff is extremely proud of this group and we are looking forward to a strong finish to the season.
We will need a big crowd next Sunday at home against UAB and we hope to see everyone there supporting this team."
NOTABLES
• The all-time series is now tied at 3-3-1 and Tech improves to 1-2-0 in matches played in Boca Raton.
• With the win, Tech now has 14 points in the Conference USA standings and clinched a spot in the conference tournament for the first time since 2019.
• LA Tech has now won three matches in a row, their best streak of the season.
• It is the first three-game Conference USA win streak since 2017.
• Tech has now won or tied in six of their last eight matches.
• LA Tech has scored first in nine of their 16 matches this season, and improve to 6-3 when scoring first.
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Emma Jones scored her second and third goals of the season, she now has six for her career.
• It was Jones's first multi-goal game of her career, and her second career game-winner.
• The goal in the 85' is the latest goal of the season for the Techsters.
• LA Tech has scored in five straight matches, the best stretch of the season, scoring ten in that span.
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Flavie Dube picked her second assist of the season, she has a team-leading 12 points.
•
Sophie Fijneman played the full 90 minutes again, the 14th time in 16 matches this season. She has played all but 33 minutes this season.
•
Laura Ogando,
Josie Studer, and
Erin Chung also played the full 90. Ogando's 12th time of the season (seven in a row), Studer's seventh time in nine matches; it was Chung's first time this season.
• Studer was carded with her third yellow of 2022.
UP NEXT
LA Tech will return home for the final home match of the regular season against UAB on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. at The Mack for the annual Alumni Game. The game can be seen on CUSATV.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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