TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler women's soccer program netted three first half goals and cruised to a 4-1 victory in their season opener over Texas A&M-Texarkana on Thursday night.
 
Junior Sydnee Garner began the scoring as the first of four different Patriots to find the back of the net in the game less than five minutes into the home opener, stealing a ball from the Eagle backline and finishing to put the first goal on the board for UT Tyler. It was largely all Patriots from that point forward, as UT Tyler outshot Texas A&M-Texarkana by a 23-to-5 total to move to 1-0 on the year.
 
Senior Jordan Colbert doubled the advantage after that goal by fourth minute goal by Garner with a shot that found that top half of the net off of a pass from freshman Natalie Jones to make it 2-0 in favor of the Patriots in the 21^st minute of action. Texas A&M-Texarkana joined in on the first half scoring onslaught with a goal of their own in the 35^th minute, before junior Maddie Higgins gave the Patriots their two-goal advantage back with less than a minute to play in the opening half.
 
That fourth goal of the half between the two sides came via a volley into the net from Higgins off of a cross from the corner from senior Kaycee West. West delivered a perfect ball into the box in which Higgins was able to put a quality strike onto and send UT Tyler into the halftime break with the 3-1 lead.
 
The offensive pressure continued for the Patriots with 11 shots in the second half, culminating in the fourth and final goal for the squad in the 75^th minute. Senior Cephana Deane corralled a Brooklyn Robinson free kick deep in the Eagle box, and found the foot of senior Samaris Alvarado, who redirected the Deane header into the back of the net for the final score of the contest.
 
Garner led the Patriots with five shot attempts on the night, while Alvarado put all three of her efforts on net. Garner and Alvarado were joined by junior Alexia Moreira and Robinson with multi-shot efforts on the evening.
 
UT Tyler is set to stay at home for their next four contests, the next of which is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on Sept. 3^rd against Rogers State.