THE RUNDOWN
The No. 1 nationally ranked DBU Women's Soccer team was on the road Sunday evening as they took the short trip to Commerce, TX to square off with Lone Star Conference opponent Texas A&M – Commerce in a match that would see the Patriots leave Lion Soccer Field with a hard fought 1-0 victory.

On a gorgeous spring evening, the Patriots (9-0-1) would come out of the gate hot, with Kaci Parks, Delaney Schmidt, Ashley Merrill, and Jenna Patterson combing amongst themselves in the attacking third of the field to see several good looks on frame. Lion goalkeeper Jen Peters would make several good saves early on in the game to keep DBU off of the score sheet; Peters would have six saves in total on the night. Against a physical, and counter-attacking minded team, Michelle Lenard's defense did an excellent job all game long in staying positionally aware and sticking with the runs of the Commerce forwards. In a midfield battle that was physically and fairly open on the night, the Patriots stood up to the task and were able to control the middle for the majority of the game both offensively and defensively. Brittany Eccles was the mainstay in the middle of the park tonight with several others seeing rotation in, Eccles and her teammates were solid all night.
 
In the second half, the Patriots would look to continue to go forward as well as withstand the counter attacks from the Lions; DBU had 12 shots going into the half while holding the Lions to only five. In a game that began to get a little chaotic, the Patriots did a great job of staying composed, keeping the ball on the ground, and looking for combinations to open up chances. For the majority of the second half, DBU was unable to find the net. However, in the 83rd minute of the match Ashley Merrill would make an excellent off the ball run and receive a great pass from Jenna Patterson into the right side of the 18. Merrill would hit the ball with pace and accuracy to beat the keeper at the near post, scoring her 14th goal of the season.

Overall, DBU would dig deep, come together, and stay true to the team that they are to come out of Commerce with their 9th win of the season.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
  - The defense for the Patriots continues to be such an asset in the buildup of play and the attack for DBU. All four of the players in Summerlyn Heller, Gabrielle Heller, Marit Auee, and Blythe Obar are really good on the ball and conscious with their passes. The outside backs are dangerous on the wings in their overlapping runs and crosses. The two center backs are also able to drive the ball into the midfield and break lines with their passes
 
 - Brittany Eccles had a standout game for her team. Eccles was box to box the entire night, put in multiple strong challenges in a midfield battle that was one of the more physical in the season, and was able help facilitate the ball when DBU was in possession.
 
 - This team has grit. Four games this year have been separated by just one goal, and DBU has come out on top from all four. This stat represents the mentality, tenacity, and grit that this DBU soccer program has built into its DNA.

HEAD COACH MICHELLE LENARD ON THE PATRIOTS WIN
"It's always a tough battle when these two teams meet. I would like to see us score a couple of our early chances but in the end, we found a way and got the goal we needed. It was a very good night from our entire back line. They worked very hard against a very dangerous counter attacking team."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
10 – Ashley Merrill has now scored in every game this season. That's 10 straight games.

1 – Playing against a Commerce side that sees lots of chances in the box off of corners, long throws, and set pieces, the DBU defense stood strong and only held the Lions to one shot on goal all night.

4 – Junior Adrianna Schroeder and the DBU backline now have four shutouts on the season. Between the five mainstays, this DBU defense checks all of the boxes and continues to showcase it on the field.

UP NEXT
DBU returns home to University Hill to host Texas Woman's University on Wednesday, March 31st for the second meeting of the season between the two sides. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.