Surprise, Ariz. - With a winning streak on the line, the Lady Firestorm delivered yet another thrilling victory by holding off rival OUAZ 1-0. Cami Mercado scored the eventual game-winner in the 34th minute and ACU limited OUAZ to only two shots on goal. The latest tally in the win column moves the Firestorm to 3-0 in conference play and sole possession of first place in the GSAC standings.

Score: Arizona Christian 1, OUAZ 0
Records: Arizona Christian 8-2-1 (3-0-0) | OUAZ 9-2-0 (2-1-0)
Location: Spirit Field - Surprise, AZ

STAT TRACKER

Cami Mercado - 1 goal, 3 shots on goal
Justyne Underwood - 1 assist, 1 shot on goal
Cadence Peroff - 2 shots, 1 on goal
Shayla Mobo - 1 shot on goal
Tayler Wonderly - 2 saves


INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

A mere 40 seconds into play, Justyne Underwood made ACU's first impression on the OUAZ goalkeeper Akela Patterson. The on-target shot was defended well by Patterson, and the Spirit also survived two proceeding corner kicks served in by Shayla Mobo. 

OUAZ had the next say in the contest, as they outshot ACU 4-1 over the next 18 minutes. Amanda Witkowski had the Spirit's closest scoring effort, her shot hitting the goal post. It would be Cadence Peroff with the Firestorm's next scoring threat in the 22nd minute, but there was nothing to write home about yet. 

After several minutes of play between the 20-yard lines, ACU was knocking on the door once again. The clock just creeping over 33 minutes into the first period, Underwood found herself lining up the Firestorm's third corner kick. Retaining possession following the kick, Underwood pinpointed Cami Mercado with her pass and Mercado laced the ball inside for the first goal of the match. Mobo and Mercado each fired off a shot on goal in the waning minutes of the opening half, but it would conclude with ACU on top 1-0.

Holding a slim advantage, the competitive nature of the contest showed its colors early in the second period, as ACU's Cadence Peroff was awarded a red card and Alyssa Mercado a yellow card. Despite some chippiness, the Firestorm only allowed two shots on goal and Tayler Wonderly was able to handle these Spirit attacks. Wonderly, the reigning GSAC Defender of the Week, recorded her first 90-minute shutout of 2023.

Cami Mercado reached the 10-goal mark with her latest score, and now has three game-winning goals this season. With their eighth win of 2023, the Firestorm are now one win away from the most wins in a season in program history (8-9-2 in 2017).

THOUGHTS FROM COACH GINA CORMIER

"This was a big win for our team tonight," Coach Cormier said. "We were happy with how well we controlled the ball and pace of play in the first half. We put ourselves in a real tough spot early in the second half with fouls as we lost a bit of composure in the heat of competition. I am very proud of the grit that the players demonstrated to hold on and keep the win in a challenging environment. Tons of credit to the toughness of this team."

NEXT MATCH

The Lady Firestorm make a triumphant return to ACU Football Field next Thursday after producing a 4-1 record on the road. With kickoff at 8:00 PM, ACU will have a date with Hope International and a shot at five consecutive wins. Follow along with live stats at https://acufirestorm.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary and watch the live stream at https://www.gsacsportsnetwork.com/azchristian/. 


Roll Storm!