NATCHITOCHES—Just call Northwestern State the comeback kids at this point.
After not recording a come-from-behind win among the 13 victories a season ago, NSU (6-6, 3-1) came from behind to pull off a triumph for the third time this season.
This time, the Demons rallied to knock off perennial Southland Conference contender East Texas A&M (2-7-3, 1-3) 3-1 on Thursday evening with three unanswered goals after the Lions scored early.
"We feel comfortable that we can come back in the game, even down a goal, especially at home," head coach
Ian Brophy said. "We are really confident on this field, and we know what we can do here and how we play and what the standards are.
"While we weren't up to our standard in the first half, we were confident that we could have a really good second half. At 1-1, I knew if we could have a really good second half, we'll win the match."
NSU collected goals in the first half from
Iesha Rollins and in the second from
Maliya Maldonado and
Riley Stern to walk away with its 15
th consecutive unbeaten home contest, which extends a program record, as well as ninth straight home win.
The Demons recorded four assists in the game, which ties a program single-season record with 44 assists, also happening in 2005.
The three goals against ETAMU are tied for the most goals surrendered by the Lions this season.
While the game ended beautifully for the home team, it didn't start as well.
In the third minute, Allyson Reed scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season for the visitors, as Addisen Ramirez found Reed all alone in the middle of the box, and Reed did the rest with a shot past NSU goalkeeper
Audrey Marfia.
The Lions controlled much of the first half, but the Demons battled back and tied in the 38
th minute off the foot of Rollins.
After a ball bounced out to Addison Lehnertz outside the box, the freshman sent it into the box, where Rollins was all alone and she sent it home to the top right corner of the goal to tie the score.
The assist from Lehnertz is her fourth of the season, moving into a tie for eighth in school history for helpers by a freshman, tying among others, teammate
Emma Pethel and graduate assistant coach
Caroline Hilliard.
Late in the first half, NSU found its footing, and it continued into the second half, as the Demons have scored at least two goals in the final 45 minutes in each of their six victories.
Maldonado started and finished the break in the 60
th minute to give NSU the lead.
She sent a lead feed ahead to
Paige Baumgartner, whose shot was stopped on a kick save by ETAMU goalkeeper Emmy Finlinson, but the ball bounced out to Maldonado and she did the rest.
Gathering the ball at the top of the box, Maldonado blasted the ball into the left portion of the net, as Finlinson was caught moving to her left and could not recover.
"I passed it up to Paige and I was really hoping she would score," Maldonado said. "But then I got the rebound I knew I needed to take it. I was so excited to score it and celebrate with my team."
The Lions best opportunity to tie the score in the second half came with 20 minutes left, as Ramirez's shot off a corner kick hit the crossbar and bounced down and Marfia leaped to save a second Lions chance from Liberty Plasek.
After ETAMU scored on its first shot of the game, Marfia rebounded to stop a season-high six shot attempts to earn the win.
The Demons offense rewarded Marfia's play with a two-goal cushion in the form of
Riley Stern in the 83
rd minute to cement the victory for the home team.
Lehnertz intercepted a pass at midfield and started a counterattack, as
Gabriela Page passed a lead feed to
Kendall Hemperley, and the sophomore crossed it in and
Emily Gundin made a terrific touch pass to Stern, and the fifth-year senior sent it home into the bottom left corner to ice it.
"It was really important to get that third goal," Stern said. "Growing up we all hear 2-1 is the most dangerous score in soccer because you never want to get comfortable with that lead and let them come back and score. Just getting another one to secure it and make us feel a little more comfortable was really important."
The helper was the 13
th in Gundin's career, which moved her into a tie for seventh in school history with N-Club Hall of Famer Britiany Cargill.
Overall, the Lions had 19 shots to 16 for the Demons. Reed, Ramirez and Kristen Sueltz all had four apiece for ETAMU, while Baumgartner had a game-high six for NSU.
Next up for the Demons is a trip to Corpus Christi on Sunday to round out the weekend against the Islanders before coming back home for a battle with Houston Christian on Oct. 15.
