USL W LEAGUE: Alvarez shines bright as Lone Star FC edges past Sporting JAX in shootout
- Dan Stickradt
- Jul 4
- 2 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A game reaching a shootout can create some anxiety.
No problem for Azul Alvarez.
The Baylor University goalkeeper shined bright Friday for Lone Star FC, as the Austin, Texas-based side slipped past Sporting JAX 1-0 in the USL W League Southern Conference semifinals at UNC-Asheville Greenwood Field.
Alvarez and her teammates prevailed in the end with a 3-0 edge in penalties from the spot where Alvarez stopped three shots while Lone Star FC sent three attempts into the back of the net to help clinch the win.
That’s right – three straight saves. There wasn’t a fourth and fifth shooters needed in the penalty kick shootout due to Alvarez making three stops while her teammates converted.
The two teams battled through the heat and 90-plus minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime where they played scoreless soccer. That set up the shootout and the table was set for Alvarez to shine.
Lone Star FC advances to the Southern Conference finals Sunday against Asheville City FC, which defeated TLH Reckoning 3-1 Friday in the other Southern Conference semifinals match.
Lone Star FC improved to 9-1-1 overall and the Lone Star Division champions now have a 29-9 scoring edge this season.
Sporting JAX, which had won two straight Southeast Division titles, finished the year with its first and only loss and exit the tournament with a 10-1-0 overall record and a 51-6 scoring edge. Sporting JAX finished second in the nation with 51 goals as a team which only trailed Utah United’s 61 tallies in the regular season.
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