Opening a double header at the Lewis-Chen Family Field, the nine seniors on SEU women’s soccer roster played their second to last home game, coming to a 2-2 draw against University of Texas Permian Basin on Oct. 21.
“It was well fought,” senior forward Katie Gay said. “We all knew that we wanted to do this for us, the seniors, it was a big game for us.”
The Hilltoppers started strong with senior forward Ari Ramirez going on a quick solo run in the first five minutes, but her powerful shot went straight into Permian Basin’s goalkeeper’s hands. Two more opportunities were created in the following five minutes by Gay and graduate student midfielder Caitlyn Gonzalez.
Communication was the greatest strength on the Hilltopper side, with players making precise passes possible and allowing the team to have a large advantage in shotmaking.
Halfway through the first half, UTPB scored the game’s first goal after the ball bounced off sophomore goalkeeper Hannah Simpson’s hands, allowing Permian Basin to capitalize and go into halftime with a 1-0 advantage.
The Hilltoppers came back for the second half ready to answer, with Gonzalez assisting freshman midfielder Abigail Hall on scoring the equalizing goal in the upper-left corner of the net.
The last 15 minutes of the game were the most intense. Near the box, a handball was called on the Hilltoppers, giving Permian Basin a free kick, which was sent above the defender line and hit the upper-right corner of the net with precision, now giving UTPB a 2-1 advantage.
Gonzalez was quick with her answer, once again showcasing her skill with a precise pass to junior forward Tristyn Cabello, who quickly scored the final goal. More goal attempts were made by Cabello before the final whistle, but all were stopped by Permian Basin’s goalkeeper, bringing the final score to a 2-2 draw.
“It was a team effort today,” Gay said. “Even though we tied, it’s still a good result. We got three more games before the playoffs, so we got to take shots, we got to start winning games.”
St Edward’s women’s soccer team comes to a 4-5-3 overall record and a 3-4-2 Lone Star Conference record. The team goes on a trip to play against West Texas A&M University on Oct. 25.
