WASHINGTON, DC --- Howard 2, Mother Nature 0.
A week after
winning its first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) contest in DC against Southern University amid storm conditions, the Howard women's soccer team earned another 2-0 shutout victory on Friday against Texas Southern University with weather playing a major factor.
About 30 minutes before the game's 7 p.m. scheduled start, both teams were pulled off the field due to a lightning warning. The lightning quickly turned into a flash storm that ended up delaying the contest 75 minutes.
Once the game started, the Bison (7-6, 3-2 SWAC) managed the compromised field conditions and the aggressive Texas Southern (4-9, 2-3 SWAC) attack to move a game above .500 overall & in conference play.
Howard pulled out the victory despite being outshot 13-12 and surrendering a 5-1 edge in corner kicks.
The win clinched head coach
Brent Leiba's second-highest win total during his seven-year tenure with the Bison. Offensively, Howard's two goals gave the Bison 44 for the season, breaking a tie with the 2014 squad for most goals in a campaign under Leiba - in 10 fewer games. The 44 goals are the most in a season since the 2002 Bison team tallied 49 goals.
Sophomore midfielder
Noelle McCullom scored the first goal of her career in the 55th minute by successfully converting Howard's third penalty kick in four tries. On the other end of the spectrum, sophomore forward
Kela Gray scored her 11th goal of the year in the 78th minute off a double assist from junior midfielder
Sara Vaughan & sophomore forward/midfielder
Whitney White. Gray's 11-goal season - with at least six games to go - secured only the sixth such campaign in the last 16 seasons (
Nia Walcott - 2014,
Nikanya Clark -
2014, Raneika Bean - 2001-03).
In goal, freshman keeper
Mackenzie Diotte made six saves to earn her second solo shutout in three games.
NOTE: The game was called at the 83:30 mark due to darkness.
NEXT UPHoward will finish its four-game home stretch with a rematch of the 2014 SWAC Championship Game against Prairie View A&M on Sunday, October 11 at 1 p.m. The game will be webcast on the SWAC Digital Network and stream details will be provided when available.
