With today’s tough-it-out 2-1 win over No. 8 Emory, the Cowgirls of Hardin-Simmons University now move into new territory, but not on unfamiliar ground.
No. 2 Hardin-Simmons has been to the Elite Eight once before in 2006. That run ended in a 3-0 loss at eventual national champion Wheaton (Ill.). Ironically, Wheaton was in the HSU sectional this weekend, but a rematch was not in the cards as Emory advanced past the Thunder on PKs. But four years later and with an injury-free line-up, Coach Marcus Wood was ready to push his team farther into post-season play and get the Cowgirls into position for a run at the national title. With Friday’s 2-0 shut-out of upstart Redlands, and Saturday’s victory over a strong Emory team, Coach Wood and his team have their chance.
While Hardin-Simmons will now be thinking about that Final Four tournament experience in two weeks, what they don’t have to worry about is the in-state trip to San Antonio. The team has been there before, playing SCAC foe Trinity over 10 times in past seasons. While the tournament matches will be played across town at the Blossom Soccer complex, the Cowgirls should feel at home.
This is a great story and a nice outcome for a program that has been a national competitor for over five years, slowing building a solid tradition of soccer excellence. The only thing left to do is to wait for Sunday’s results, and then to win just two more matches. With no disrespect for Williams, Otterbein, William Smith and others, a No. 1 versus No. 2 match-up in the final would be something to see.
D3 soccer · Hardin-Simmons · texas soccer · women's soccer
Author comment by messiahfan8 · November 20, 2010 at 7:48 pm
No disrespect? Otterbein has only had a belly full of that this season, traveling 9.5 hours to play a team 30 minutes from them in Iowa, having a better record than any team there.
Author comment by messiahfan8 · November 22, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Having watched D3 soccer for 20 plus years I am looking at the scores differential of these games and wonder what type of teams do they play? I read about weak schedules and conferences and these look like high school teams, they put that many points on a team I gotta think something is wrong here.
Overall: 23-0 – Conference: 13-0
9/4 vs. Trinity (Texas) • W, 4-0
9/11 vs. Rhodes W, 8-0
9/16 at Concordia (Texas) * • W, 4-0
9/18 at Texas-Tyler * • W, 2-1
9/21 vs. UC Santa Cruz • W, 2-0
9/24 vs. Texas-Dallas * • W, 2-0
9/25 vs. University of the Ozarks * • W, 12-0
9/30 at Mississippi College * • W, 5-0
10/1 at Louisiana College * • W, 12-0
10/5 vs. Southwestern • W, 3-1
10/9 at McMurry * • W, 8-0
10/15 vs. Howard Payne * • W, 4-0
10/16 vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor * • W, 5-0
10/22 at Texas Lutheran * • W, 3-0
10/23 at Schreiner * • W, 8-0
10/29 vs. East Texas Baptist * • W, 5-0
10/30 vs. LeTourneau * • W, 9-0
11/6 vs. Howard Payne • W, 2-0
11/7 vs. Texas-Tyler W, 4-1
11/13 vs. Principia • W, 3-0
11/14 vs. Trinity (Texas) • W, 2-1
11/19 vs. Redlands W, 2-0
11/20 vs. Emory W, 2-1
Author comment by Jim Matson · November 24, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Good review and yes, many of those programs are not strong, and thus, the scores run up. The season’s first win was against a quality Trinity side who ended the regular season at 17-1 and ranked at No. 6. HSU’s last three wins were quality wins as well – Trinity again, an upstart Redlands team, and No. 8 Emory.
Messiah beat No. 11 Johns Hopkins twice, both 2-1. Dickinson was an easy win and is ranked at No. 25. Lynchburg was also an easy win and they are No. 17.
Messiah had the tougher schedule, but HSU did with it’s schedule what it had to do.
If they face each other, is it an automatic Falcon win? How would HSU do against JHU? Good question. But two victories over Trinity and one victory over Emory are good proofs of the Cowgirls relative strength.
Author comment by rcm66 · November 26, 2010 at 1:19 pm
if they face each other is it an falcon win… yes is the answer. Any relatively tough game for HSU were statistically matched. Getting by the skin of thier teeth against trinity and emory. winning on a penalty kick vs emory for the trip to san antonio.
You look at messhiah and you see for the most part statically in thier closer games(aside from the most recent JHU game) they still out shoot thier opponents handlely.
if they see each other in the finals i predict a 3-1 messiah win
Author comment by messiahfan8 · November 27, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Falcons win handily in that match. Hardin Simmons conference (ASC) has 3 teams with 0 wins, not too impressive. Going back looking at regional rankings Otterbein kept winning and went from 1st to 7th in the region because of SOS? never made sense as I watched the southwest region, assuming Trinity has the stronger schedule, should have been 1st.
Author comment by jhizzle · December 4, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Yes, the HSU schedule was not the strongest in the country but it doesn’t matter when you’re the National Champion!!! Congrats Cowgirls