Alabama
Troy University
Alabama Soccer Defeats Troy, 2-1, In Exhibition Play
8/14/2016 5:00:00 PM | Soccer
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – The Alabama soccer team defeated the Troy Trojans, 2-1, in an exhibition contest on Sunday afternoon at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Ala. Junior Lacey Clarida and sophomore Abbie Boswell handled the offense for the Tide, while junior Kat Stratton was solid between the posts registering four saves en route to earning the win.
"Another good performance from our team against a quality opponent," said head coach Wes Hart. "I am very pleased with where we are at this point. Today was a great way to end our preseason. We are exactly where we want to be heading into our season opener against Sam Houston State. I was disappointed in allowing the equalizer late in the game, but obviously I am incredibly happy with our response. Once again, we had some great individual performances."
The first half was a scoreless defensive battle between the two teams, as Alabama registered five shots while holding the Trojans to just two shots. Stratton picked up two of her four total saves in the opening 45 minutes.
In the second half, the Crimson Tide dominated the run of play as it totaled 14 shots, including seven on goal. Alabama finally broke through in the 60th minute, when Clarida knocked in a header in the lower left corner from a corner kick delivered by sophomore Christina Martensson to give her team a 1-0 lead.
The Crimson Tide maintained the 1-0 lead until the 89th minute when Troy finally found its equalizer. Troy's Nicole Strahl capitalized off a cross from a free kick to tie the score at 1-1.
However, just 22 seconds later, Clarida was awarded a penalty kick after being fouled inside the box. Boswell took the penalty and drilled it in the lower right side of the net for the game-winner at the 89:57 mark.
Alabama had a 19-6 lead in shots, including a 9-5 advantage in shots on goal and a 4-0 lead in corner kicks in the 90 minute affair. The nine shots on goal for the Crimson Tide came from seven different sources.
The Crimson Tide will return to action on Friday, Aug. 19, when it officially kicks off the 2016 campaign against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at the Alabama Soccer Complex at 7 p.m. CT. Attendance is free for all fans and students.
Get all the latest information on the team by following AlabamaSoccer on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
