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Sebazco Game Winner Rice 2022
1
Rice Rice (0-1-0, 0-0-0)
2
Winner SMU SMU (1-0-0, 0-0-0)
Rice Rice
(0-1-0, 0-0-0)
1
Final
2
SMU SMU
(1-0-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Rice Rice 1 0 1
SMU SMU 1 1 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Sebazco Game Winner Lifts Mustangs to 2-1 Season-Opening Win Over Rice

Box Score

DALLAS (SMU) – The No. 23 SMU women's soccer team earned a 2-1 victory Thursday night in its home opener against Rice.

It was an unassisted Courtney Sebazco game-winner in the 65th minute of play which lifted SMU over the Owls. The graduate senior midfielder marched directly into Rice territory up the right wing, firing a shot from beyond the box and placing it high-left, just beyond the reach of Rice's Bella Killgore.

The Mustangs (1-0) quickly found themselves in a one-goal deficit in the seventh minute of play, giving up a Rice free kick from just left of the box which found its way into the right hand corner of the SMU net.

It was shortly thereafter that SMU found its footing.

Sebazco credited the Mustangs' momentum shift to goalkeeper Samantha Estrada's penalty kick save against 2021 Conference USA Player of the Year Delaney Schultz in the 12th minute of play following a Jewel Boland yellow card:

"I think we responded from Sam, I mean what a save that was," Sebazco said. "That was a shift for us, and I think that woke us up, because we started the game a bit slow. But I think as a team, that save got us to calm down where we could work together to produce something."

Estrada closed a 90-minute outing in the goal with four saves on seven shots faced.

Seven minutes later, transfer graduate senior Julissa Cisneros put a stamp on her Mustang debut, finding a left-wing cross from Sammy Nieves with her head, floating the equalizer into the right of the Rice net.

Sebazco led the way for the Mustang attack, posting five shots and two on-frame, including the game-winning goal. The midfielder praised first year head coach Nicole Nelson's style and approach to the team's first half adjustments, and the win:

 "(Nelson) brings such a big energy to our team and program and we are so blessed to have her" Sebazco said. "But I think our big thing with her is just playing free. She brings that energy for us to execute."

SMU resumes its 2022 campaign on Sunday with a noon kickoff at No. 11 Tennessee on SEC Network+.

SMU Women's Soccer Embracing Change, Expectations
No. 23 Mustangs Open 2022 Season Versus Rice At Washburne Stadium
 
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