Box Score

COMMERCE, Texas (Oct. 5) – Whitney Craft scored off a corner kick in the 69th minute for the only goal of the game and Central Oklahoma held off Texas A&M-Commerce for a crucial 1-0 Lone Star Conference triumph here Sunday afternoon.

McKenzie Caldwell and Samantha Rusk spearheaded a defensive effort that kept the Lions at bay as UCO recorded its second straight shutout in winning for the third time in a row.

The Bronchos improved to 7-2-2 on the year and 2-0 in the league while dropping A&M-C to 7-2-1 and 1-1. UCO is 35-0-2 in its last 37 regular-season LSC games with 25 consecutive wins.

“We did a great job defensively and it was a big win for us,” UCO coach Mike Cook said. “We had some other chances to score and just couldn't convert, but we really played solid in the back and kept them out of the net.”

The Bronchos outshot A&M 16-15 in the tense battle, but neither team could get a shot between the posts until Craft picked up her second goal of the season at the 68:58 mark.

Stephanie Lovely took a corner kick on the play and the ball bounced around off several players in front of the goal before Craft stepped up and booted it in from close range.

Caldwell and her defensive mates did the rest in keeping the Lions scoreless, with Rusk making six saves in goal as she went the distance for the second straight game.

UCO returns to league action Friday, hosting Eastern New Mexico at 4 p.m.