LAREDO, Texas – Texas A&M International University women's soccer battled Oklahoma Christian in a tightly contested Lone Star Conference matchup Wednesday afternoon at Dustdevil Field, but a late goal by the Eagles proved to be the difference as the Dustdevils fell 1-0.
Despite outshooting Oklahoma Christian 9-7 and holding a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks, TAMIU (2-10, 2-8 LSC) was unable to find the back of the net as the Eagles (9-4-1, 6-3-1 LSC) escaped with the narrow victory.
The Dustdevils established an attacking presence early, creating several opportunities throughout the opening half. Bella Ramirez registered TAMIU's first shot in the 12th minute, while Tatiana Perez Lluis added another attempt in the 27th minute.
Lisa Stoico provided the Dustdevils' first shot on goal in the 30th minute, forcing Oklahoma Christian goalkeeper Breanna Wooten into a save. Neither side managed to break through before halftime, sending the teams into the locker room scoreless.
TAMIU came out aggressively in the second half, generating six shots and three corner kicks over the final 45 minutes.
One of the Dustdevils' best scoring opportunities came in the 56th minute when Stoico fired a shot that struck the crossbar, narrowly missing the opening goal.
The Dustdevils continued applying pressure as the match progressed, with Anessa Barrera producing three shots during the second half. Barrera forced consecutive saves from Wooten in the 75th and 76th minutes, keeping the Oklahoma Christian defense under pressure.
Stoico added another shot on goal in the 82nd minute, but Wooten once again came up with the stop to preserve the scoreless draw.
Oklahoma Christian eventually broke through in the 87th minute when Caid Jefferson scored an unassisted goal at the 86:00 mark, giving the Eagles a 1-0 advantage with four minutes remaining.
TAMIU earned a corner kick shortly after conceding but could not produce an equalizer before the final whistle.
Stoico and Barrera led the Dustdevils offensively with three shots apiece, including two shots on goal each. Stoico also played the full 90 minutes.
Defensively, goalkeeper Patricia Perez recorded three saves while playing all 90 minutes, helping keep the Eagles off the scoreboard until the closing stages.
The Dustdevils finished with four shots on goal compared to Oklahoma Christian's four, while generating more overall scoring opportunities and corner kicks.
Despite the result, TAMIU demonstrated attacking persistence throughout the contest, particularly in the second half, as the Dustdevils look to build on their performance moving forward in Lone Star Conference play.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Lisa Stoico delivered a strong offensive performance for the Dustdevils, recording three shots, including two on goal, while playing all 90 minutes. Her best opportunity came in the 56th minute when her attempt struck the crossbar, nearly giving TAMIU the lead. Stoico remained an attacking threat throughout the contest, helping the Dustdevils outshoot Oklahoma Christian 9-7.
Stoico is a freshman forward for Texas A&M International University and is currently pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering. A native of Verona, Italy, Lisa is the daughter of Mauro and Patricia and was born on May 20, 2007.
