The ULM women’s soccer team faced back-to-back Sun Belt matches, with a 1-1 draw against Texas State on Sept. 13 and a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Marshall on Sept. 18. The Warhawks now maintain a 6-2-1 overall and 1-0-1 SBC record.
ULM entered the Texas State contest having won just two of the last 14 meetings against the Bobcats.
To start the conference strong, ULM came out aggressive. The Warhawks midfielder Margret Edda Bjarnadottir found a weakness in the guest’s defense in the sixth minute. Bjarnadottir slipped a pass to ULM midfielder Leane Commaret from a corner kick, who knocked in her first career goal.
With the lead, ULM controlled much of the first half, having one more shot and two more corners than the Bobcats. The Warhawks’ strategy of being offensive didn’t work in the second half as they were counterattacked by Texas State several times. The Bobcats equalized in the 63rd minute, tying the game 1-1.
“I think the most important thing is it shows that the girls know that they can compete with anybody in this conference,” head coach Will Roberts said. “Texas State are top, top team… First half I thought we were great, but second half I don’t think came out as strong as we should have.”
Five days later, ULM returned home against Marshall. Prior to this match, the Warhawks had never lost to the Herd, holding 1-0-1 record in the series. However, the trend looked to change as Marshall scored twice in the opening 13 minutes.
Despite being down by 2 goals, the Warhawks fought to swing the momentum in their favor. In the 38th minute, Bjarnadottir put the ball in the back of the net, making the score 2-1. Less than a minute, ULM forward Skylar Blaise scored another goal to tie the game in the first half.
The second half, for both teams, was a hunt for the win. The Warhawks pushed forward with their offense, having 9 shots, but were unable to get the lead. Finally, in the 86th minute, ULM defender Libby Holmes claimed the game winner for ULM.
Roberts talked about the team’s ability to adjust has been strength.
“We’re not one way and set in our ways,” Roberts said. “We can mix it up for each game. If we’re going against a team like this [conference teams], then it’s going to be physical transition game… we can adapt to each game. We’re a bit of hybrid team.
The two results gave ULM a point on the road and then a big win at home. With goals coming from multiple players, the Warhawks demonstrated the depth of their arsenal as conference play heats up.
“I think our expectations are pretty high for this group because we have lot of seniors and juniors in the team,” Bjarnadottir said. “We have lot of experience… the standard is high and we just have to focus one game at a time.”
As ULM continues Sun Belt, make sure to support them against Coastal Carolina on Sep. 26.
