CANYON, Texas – Texas A&M International University women's soccer struck twice in the opening six minutes and delivered a strong defensive performance to secure a 2-0 shutout victory over West Texas A&M on Wednesday evening at The Pitch at Buffalo Sports Park.
The Dustdevils improved to 3-11 overall and 3-9 in Lone Star Conference play, while the Lady Buffs fell to 7-6-3 overall and 6-4-2 in conference action.
TAMIU wasted little time making its presence felt, opening the scoring just 2:08 into the contest. Lisa Stoico found the back of the net with an unassisted goal, giving the Dustdevils an early 1-0 advantage.
Less than three minutes later, Riley Brown doubled the lead, scoring an unassisted goal at the 5:03 mark to put TAMIU ahead 2-0.
Despite facing pressure from the Lady Buffs throughout the remainder of the first half, the Dustdevils maintained their two-goal advantage heading into halftime. West Texas A&M held a 6-4 edge in first-half shots, but TAMIU goalkeeper Patricia Perez made two saves to preserve the shutout.
The Lady Buffs increased their offensive pressure in the second half, outshooting the Dustdevils 10-3 over the final 45 minutes.
Perez continued to anchor the TAMIU defense, recording saves in the 56th and 60th minutes to keep West Texas A&M off the scoreboard. The Dustdevils' defensive unit held firm despite the Lady Buffs' sustained pressure, protecting the early advantage through the final whistle.
TAMIU finished the match with seven shots, including four on goal, while West Texas A&M recorded 16 shots with four on target.
Brown led the Dustdevils offensively with two shots on goal and one goal, while Stoico contributed the opening goal on her lone shot attempt. Tove Thornholm also registered a shot on goal, and Lilly Moren added two shots.
Perez played all 90 minutes between the posts, finishing with four saves to earn the clean sheet.
The victory highlighted TAMIU's ability to capitalize on early scoring opportunities while delivering a disciplined defensive performance against a conference opponent.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Patricia Perez delivered a standout performance between the posts, recording four saves in 90 minutes to secure a clean sheet in TAMIU's 2-0 victory over West Texas A&M. Facing 16 total shots, Perez turned away all four attempts on goal, including two second-half saves, to preserve the Dustdevils' early lead.
Perez is a junior goalkeeper for Texas A&M International University and is currently pursuing a degree in Psychology. A native of Barcelona, Spain, Patricia is the daughter of Jordi Perez and Marta Lluis and was born on February 13, 2005.
