SMU W-Soccer Downs Houston

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DALLAS (SMU) – Taylor Barg provided the excitement under the Friday-night lights at Westcott Field, scoring with 1:11 left in regulation to give SMU a 2-1 victory over Houston.

With the win, the Mustangs improved to 8-7-0 (3-4-0 American Athletic Conference) while Houston fell to 1-9-3 (0-7-0).

As the game approached the 90th minute with a 1-1 score, Courtney Smith took the ball down the left side of the pitch and crossed it into the box. A mass of Houston defenders and SMU attackers converged upon the area, but Barg leaked out while staying onside. The freshman midfielder collected the ball with great resolve and poked it past Houston goalkeeper Sydney George.

Houston tied the match in the 82nd minute as Alexis Weaver took a shot from the left wing at about nine yards out, sneaking the ball past Lauryn Bodden at the right post.

The match was scoreless after halftime, but Bari Kesner got the Mustangs on the board in the 65th minute with a quality strike from 20 yards out, gliding the ball over the left shoulder of George. The goal was the second of the season for Kesner, who played a total of 53 minutes as a substitute. Shelby Redman tallied an assist on the play.

The Mustangs nearly took the lead in the 54th minute when a scramble for a loose ball in the box led to Jessica Bartol deflecting an opportunity off the right post, where the ball ignored Bartol’s intentions and bounced harmlessly away from the line.

Smith’s assist gives her 10 for the season and 27 in her career, tying her for fifth all-time at SMU with Jill Heinemann.

The Mustangs will continue their season-ending homestand with a visit from USF on Thursday at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at SMUTickets.com.