Women's Soccer Advances To Round Of 16 At National Championship

MOBILE, Ala-- The 5th-ranked University of Mobile women's soccer team defeated University of Texas at Brownsville 2-1 in a NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship Opening Round contest Saturday evening.

With the win, Mobile (18-3-1) will advance to the final site of the 2011 NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship in Decatur, Ala., Nov. 28 - Dec. 3. Mobile will face Graceland (Iowa) Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 1:30 pm. The Lady Scorpions end the year at 17-3-1.

In the teams' first meeting this year, they played 110 minutes of scoreless ball, but it took only 2:17 in this game for someone to tally a goal.

That someone was UTB's Helen Wagstaff, who rocketed a shot inside the far post from about 60 yards out, catching the Mobile defense off guard.

The Lady Scorpions continued to take shots whenever they could, finishing with a 20-9 edge in shots taken.

In the 26th minute, Christy Lachappelle answered for Mobile. A nice pass from Brianna Simmons put Lachappelle behind the defense, and the junior worked her way to the top of the 18-yard box and hammered it home for the 1-1 score.

The score stayed 1-1 for the rest of the first half and much of the second half, until that same duo struck again for Mobile.

In the 75th minute, Lachappelle found Simmons all alone inside the 18-yard box, and Simmons finished it off for the game-winner.

Lorna Brownlie finished with seven saves for Mobile, while Jessica Hamer made four saves for UT-Brownsville.