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LAREDO, Texas – A resilient resistance at the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex on Monday afternoon saw the visiting Newman Jets defeat a 10-player Dustdevils team, 4-2. With the loss, TAMIU falls to 1-7-0 (1-2-0 Heartland Conference) while Newman improves to 3-6-0 with the victory.
Despite the two-goal difference in the final result, the Dustdevils and Jets played nearly an identical match against each other until TAMIU midfielder Katelin Jennings received a straight red card in the 69th minute for a slide tack from behind on a breaking-away opponent. Her sending off opened the gates to both team’s goals, as three tallies were added in that final 20 minutes.
Dustdevils midfielder Sam Zerilli saw her unmatched work ethic pay off for the second straight match as she scored in the 70th minute. Her bent-in net bulger appeared to pick the red-card reduced Dustdevils off the ropes, as it equalized the match at two apiece. She found nylon after curling a free kick from just right of center from about 25 yards away. It was her second goal of her senior campaign after scoring on a similar set piece against Rogers State on Oct. 5.
The one-player deficit dealt a disadvantage to the Dustdevils, especially in the match’s twilight. In the final 10 minutes, Newman’s Mei-Mei Senthavy (82nd minute) scored off a Blair Terry assist, and Terry closed the scoring in the 90th minute.
Dustdevils forward Kim Garcia opening the game’s scoring in just the 8th minute after a weight-perfect pass from Zerilli freed her behind the Jets’ backline. She took two touches before she buried a shot by Newman keeper Haley Borchers. It was Garcia’s third goal in two games after netting a brace against Rogers State.
The Jets answered with a pair of goals. Senthavy scored in the 31st minute from about 15 yards out on an assist by Maricela Rubalcava, and Rubalcava scored a goal of her own in the 69th minute off an assist by Courtney Galliher.
The Dustdevils will spend four of October’s five matches away from home, starting with the University of Texas of the Permian Basin on Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. They return to the TAMIU Soccer Complex on Oct. 26 to host the University of Texas at Brownsville at 7:30 p.m.
