Box Score

BROWNSVILLE, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University women’s soccer team (13-5) took a 3-2 win over LSU-Shreveport (10-7-1) in Red River Athletic Conference quarterfinal action on Thursday.

 

Jessica Watton who led the RRAC with 43 points entering the contest tallied a pair of goals to claim the lead in that category as well at 17 (Our Lady of the Lake University’s Hannah Collazo has scored 16 entering the day).

 

Watton made sure her team played from ahead with a goal just 7:37 into the game on an assist from Karissa Olson. In the 41st minute, LSUS’ Heather McCutchen scored to send the game to halftime deadlocked at 1-1.

 

Watton took the lead back just 4:44 into the second half with her 17th goal of the season again on an Olson assist. The Rams nursed that one goal lead until Leah Valtman found the net in the 71st minute. That insurance goal proved to be important when the Pilots’ Kim Phelps scored as time expired to bring the final score to 3-2.

 

For the game, the Rams outshot the Pilots 19-11 (7-6 on goal). Katy Houchin made four saves to preserve the win.

 

“We dominated this game start to finish,” commented head coach Josh Gibbs.  “I’m disappointed that we started to celebrate the win before it was a win and gave up that goal at the end, but we were clearly the better team today. Now we have to prepare for a very strong opponent tomorrow.”

 

With the win, the Rams have advanced to Friday’s semifinal round. They will likely meet top-seeded Northwood University at 1:00 p.m. However, a Bacone College victory over third seeded Our Lady of the Lake this afternoon would match the Rams up with second seeded UT-Brownsville at 5:00 p.m.