The St. Edward’s women’s soccer team took to the field on a cool, sunny day in their home match against the Midwestern State University Mustangs. In front of a crowd of supporters from both teams, the Hilltoppers pulled off a narrow 1-0 win.
The game started strong with Annie Rocha, St. Edward’s attacking forward, immediately testing Midwestern’s defense. In just the third minute, Rocha fired a powerful shot toward the top left corner, only to be denied by the Mustangs’ goalkeeper. On the other end, St. Edward’s record breaking goalie Daria Schulobom made critical saves from the Midwestern kicks.
Throughout the first half, Rocha continued pushing the Hilltoppers attack forward, connecting well with the midfielders and delivering dangerous crosses into the penalty area. Despite the team’s efforts, the Mustangs’ backline managed to keep them from getting to the net. Both teams entered halftime locked in a scoreless draw.
Midwestern spent most of the second half with the ball, keeping the pressure on and forcing St. Edward’s to up their defense. Midwestern applied pressure early, firing off shots left and right. However, Schlumbohm’s commanding presence in front of the goal and her quick reflexes kept the Mustangs at bay. She made a series of key saves that kept Midwestern from getting to the net.
The defining moment of the game came when midfielder Sierra Padilla sent the perfect pass to forward Alyssa Garcia. Garcia didn’t miss, sending it into the bottom left corner and putting St. Edward’s on top.
“I haven’t scored since my freshman year, so I was so eager to get in there,” Garcia said. “We were all very intense, and we were driving to win. If it wasn’t for Sierra (Padilla) taking the shot, I wouldn’t have been able to follow through, so it was truly a team effort.”
As the Mustangs struggled to make a comeback in the final minutes of the game, Schlumbohm stepped up once again, making more pivotal saves. Her performance in goal was a key factor in the Hilltoppers defensive resilience, as she finished the match with eight saves.
“The girls have been building and building this season, keeping the faith with the way they are playing,” head coach Nick Cowell said. “Everyday we grow a little bit, a little stronger and getting more technical and tactical.”
The team then played Texas A&M International University, securing a 2-0 win, on Oct. 23. These wins bring St. Edward’s women’s soccer overall record to 5-6-2 and a 3-4-1 in the Lone Star Conference.The team returns to the Lewis-Chen Family Field on Wednesday, Oct. 29, for the Halloween Bash game against Dallas Baptist University.
