University of Texas at Dallas

ABILENE, TX (11.03.09) – After notching consecutive overtime wins to end the regular season, the UT Dallas women’s soccer team nabbed the No. 6 seed in the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament and will face off against No. 3 Mississippi College in a quarterfinal matchup on Friday, Nov. 6, at 2:00 pm.

The six-team tournament is being hosted by top seed and defending champion Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.

The Comets were propelled into the tournament by a pair of game-winning goals scored by Emily George and Cassie Lydick in the final week of league action. George’s strike—a 30-yard blast in the 110th minute—gave UTD a 2-1 win over No. 2 UT Tyler on Oct. 29. Two days later, Lydick’s goal in the 98th minute downed Concordia, another 2-1 victory.

Prior to last week’s resurgence, UTD slid to as low as seventh in ASC standings. The Comets suffered a three-game winless stretch from Oct. 17-24, failing to score a goal during the skid. But, thanks to George’s and Lydick’s heroics, the Comets earned their eighth straight ASC Tournament bid.

UTD blazed through the 2008 tournament before dropping a 2-0 decision to Hardin-Simmons in the title game. The Comets last claimed the outright league title back in 2002, when coach John Antonisse led his squad to the NCAA III “Sweet Sixteen.” In 2004, UTD was named ASC co-champion after tying HSU 1-1 in the title tilt. But because the Cowgirls outlasted UTD in a shootout, they earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

HSU (Abilene, TX) will again host this year’s tournament, receiving a first-round bye. The Cowgirls will play the winner of No. 4 Mary Hardin-Baylor and No. 5 East Texas Baptist—Friday’s 11:00 am contest.

The Comets will need to edge MC in order to meet UTT in a semifinal showdown scheduled for 2:00 pm on Saturday, Nov. 7. George scored UTD’s lone goal in a 1-1 tie with the Choctaws (11-5-2, 9-2-2) on Sept. 26. The championship game is set for 1 pm Sunday.

Tournament updates, live stats and audio can be found on the 2009 ASC Women’s Soccer Championship website, listed below.

TOURNAMENT SITE