LAREDO, Texas – Texas A&M International University women's soccer fell 2-0 to UT Tyler on Saturday at Dustdevil Field.
The Dustdevils (1-6, 1-3 Lone Star Conference) stayed within striking distance for much of the opening half behind a strong performance from goalkeeper Maria Melendez.
UT Tyler generated several early opportunities, but Melendez turned away three shots in the first half to keep the match scoreless. The Patriots eventually broke through in the 40th minute when Lily Moreno found the back of the net to give UT Tyler a 1-0 advantage.
TAMIU nearly answered before halftime. Tatiana Perez Lluis put the Dustdevils' first shot on goal toward the bottom-left corner in the 45th minute, but UT Tyler goalkeeper Robbi Curry made the save, sending TAMIU into the break trailing by one.
The Patriots extended their lead early in the second half. After Melendez stopped an Ava Harris attempt in the 51st minute, Harris converted just over a minute later off an assist from Celine Diaz to make it 2-0.
Melendez continued to keep the Dustdevils within reach, finishing the afternoon with seven saves while playing all 90 minutes. TAMIU's defense held UT Tyler scoreless over the final 38 minutes despite the Patriots finishing with 17 shots, including nine on goal.
Perez Lluis provided TAMIU's primary attacking threat, accounting for all three of the Dustdevils' shots and both attempts on goal. She forced another save from Curry in the 87th minute before recording TAMIU's final attempt in the closing seconds.
With the result, TAMIU moves to 1-5 overall and 1-3 in conference play, while UT Tyler improves to 3-1-1 overall and 2-0 in the LSC.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Maria Melendez stood strong in goal for the Dustdevils, recording seven saves across the full 90 minutes. Melendez made three saves in the opening half and four more after halftime, helping keep TAMIU within striking distance throughout the match.
Melendez is a senior goalkeeper for Texas A&M International University and is currently pursuing a degree in Kinesiology. A native of Cagua, Venezuela, Maria is the daughter of Gabriel Melendez and was born on July 1, 2006.
