The women’s soccer team found their groove just in time for Great American Conference play. After losing eight straight non-conference games, the team won four straight GAC games by a combined score of 13-3. By comparison, Harding was outscored 15-3 in the first eight games of the season.<\/p>\n
Their first conference win was a 6-1 defeat of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark. Junior midfielder Audrey Adkison earned a hat trick by scoring three goals in the game, becoming the first player to do so since 2011. She also had two assists. <\/p>\n
“Even though we had lost our previous games, we put them behind us and believed with all our hearts that we could beat OBU,” Adkison said.<\/p>\n
According to women’s head soccer coach Greg Harris, the team’s turnaround came at just the right time. <\/p>\n
“We needed a win, regardless of where it came from,” Harris said. “It was fortunate for us that it came against Ouachita and happened to be a conference game.”<\/p>\n
After the 6-1 OBU game, the team beat conference opponents Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Northwestern Oklahoma State University and East Central University. <\/p>\n
“There was just a switch that turned on,” Harris said. “There’s also a familiarity with conference foes. There are some things about conference play that the girls are used to. They feel a little bit more confident.”<\/p>\n
Confidence also comes with scoring goals. The team is averaging 13.2 shots per game. Adkison is the team leader in goals and assists, with five and six respectively. As a veteran midfielder, she knows how to read the game and when to shoot or pass.<\/p>\n
“Attacking by distributing is key,” Adkison said. “We’re connecting passes extremely well and have scored almost all of our goals off crosses.”<\/p>\n
While Harris loves the goals, he is equally proud of the team’s defensive effort these past few games. <\/p>\n
“We all want to contest every shot that other teams take. I see us doing that a lot more,” Harris said. “I’m okay with winning a game 1-0 or 2-1.”<\/p>\n
Harris also added that winning is not everything. He coined a team hashtag #PlayForHim from an idea that the girls had been talking about and had put on the board on several occasions. <\/p>\n
“We want to dedicate all that we do to our heavenly father,” Harris said. “We play for Him.”<\/p>\n
The team currently stands at 4-9-0 overall and 4-1-0 in the GAC. The next game is at home tonight at 7 p.m. versus Ouachita Baptist University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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