THE RUNDOWN
The No. 6 nationally ranked DBU Women's Soccer team continued their home stand as they hosted Abilene Christian University on Saturday afternoon here on Patriot Field. The Patriots would put in an excellent performance and come away with a 3-1 win; their second of the season over an NCAA DI opponent.

On a beautiful day on University Hill, the Patriots (8-0-0) would come out to start the game very strongly. DBU was able to go at the defense of the wildcats and create several solid chances, something that they would do for the entirety of the match. The front runners in Kaci Parks, Delaney Schmidt, Jenna Patterson, and Ashley Merrill were able to combine amongst themselves in and around the box to create several opportunities. DBU was able to convert on one of these chances in the 29th minute of the match when Merrill would slide through a great pass to the foot of Schmidt who would bury the ball into the bottom corner to put the Patriots up 1-0; a score which the Patriots would take into the half.
 
In the second half, DBU would pick up right where they left off. Michelle Lenard's side would continue to possess the ball all over the field and create solid strings of combinations in and around the attacking third. Jenna Patterson was very active for the majority of the second half on the right wing and did a wonderful job of taking her defender on and turning the corner to put in several good chances for the Patriots. Patterson would put in a low cross that would find the foot of Schmidt to see the senior put the ball into the back of the net for her second of the day and her 5th of the season. The No. 8 for DBU was very active in the attacking third for the Patriots today and was able to see several good opportunities which allowed her to come away with her two goals.
 
In the 72nd minute of the game, freshman Ashley Merrill would continue her strong season by scoring a third for the Patriots. The goal for Merrill was her 12th of the season and she has now scored in all eight of the games on the year for DBU. Merrill continues to be a creator coming out of the midfield for her team. She does an excellent job of taking defenders on, putting her teammates through on goal, as well as finding the back of the net.
 
All afternoon, the Patriots would continue to dominate all over the field. The Wildcats were not able to create many chances going forward thanks to the strong organization and hard tackles that the backline of DBU would put in. This DBU backline saw six girls play along it today in Summerlyn Heller, Gabrielle Heller, Blythe Obar, Marit Auee, Ella McQuaid, and Morgan Black. All six girls did an excellent job of hounding the attackers of ACU every time they got the ball. Heller, Black, and McQuaid also aided the DBU attack in going forward and providing several threatening services as outside backs. Melissa Jones would do another solid job of controlling the ball in the middle of the field; as would Kaci Parks, the senior was slid back into the middle of the park today and did a really strong job on bringing the ball into her feet and sparking DBU offensive threats.

Overall, the Patriots would put in a really good shift on the afternoon and come away with a 3-1 victory.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
  - With today's win, the Patriots have now beaten both NCAA Division I opponents they have faced this season. DBU knocked off LSU earlier in the year and with today's win at home, this DBU side continues to showcase their talent and the tenacity that they have. In these two games, they have stayed true to the team that they are and trusted in their ability in the system to earn the wins over these Division I programs. The Patriots have proven they can compete against the best of them.
 
 - This Patriots offense continues to demonstrate how lethal they are. There are now six players who have scored at least two goals for DBU this season. Every single player that see's time upfront for this side can cause problems for any defense and they have demonstrated that through the versatility in both of their starters and players who enter into the game off of the sideline. There is such a strong chemistry between all of these frontrunners that allows them the ability to combine amongst each other in such special ways.
 
 - The defense for the Patriots is also elite. DBU has only allowed five goals through eight games, with two of those goals coming against Division I opponents. From left to right, every single one of the girls on the backline can defend both as a group and in one-on-one situations. Not only can this crew defend, they are also vital in the build up play and possession that allows this team to have such a strong grip on every game they play.

COACH MICHELLE LENARD ON THE PATRIOTS WIN
"I thought we put together a complete 90-minute performance today. We came out and were able to settle into our style of play right away. I feel like we did a good job of playing attacking minded soccer all day. Delaney has done a great job of getting herself into dangerous positions all year and was able to score two today. Proud of these girls and the job they did this afternoon against ACU."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
8 – Ashley Merrill continues to impress for this side. With today's goal, Merrill has now scored in all eight games - breaking Lea Sedwick's previous record of scoring in seven games in a row. Merrill, already having an historic season, puts herself into the record books for the Patriots.

13 – The Patriots tied their season high of 13 shots on goal today. In total, DBU has had 74 shots on target on the year, with their opponents only seeing 35.

9 – To continue to showcase the versatile and chemistry that this team has, there are nine girls on the roster who have at least one assist. Four of those players have at least three. This team has been clicking all season and will look to keep that up throughout the rest of the year.

UP NEXT
DBU will travel up to Oklahoma City to continue Lone Star Conference play in a matchup with Oklahoma Christian University on Wednesday, March 24th. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.