TYLER, Texas — The UT Tyler Women's Soccer program took down UT Dallas in their regular season finale 2-1 Tuesday night. With the win the Patriots moved to 8-4-4 overall and 7-3-3 in Lone Star Conference play, which is a record for most conference wins in a season. UT Tyler also secured their spot in the Lone Star Conference tournament with the victory.
The Comets from UT Dallas would get the first scoring chance after a handball in the box awarded them a penalty kick in the 5th minute. However, Robbi Curry would make a diving save to keep the Comets out of the net. Unfortunately for the Patriots though, UT Dallas would take the lead seconds later after an own goal from UT Tyler.
Coach Webb and her team wouldn't let that phase them as they turned up the offensive pressure sending three shots towards the net in the next few minutes including a shot on goal from Lexi Luff.
UT Tyler would break through and even things up in the 19th minute as Luff's pass gave Ella Anderson a run towards the goal. The Patriots leading scorer would send a shot towards the goal that ricocheted off of the leg of Celine Diaz and into the back of the net to even the game at 1-1.
That would stay the score until late into the first half as the Patriots depth made an impact once again. Mayla Dawkins would make a run to the far corner of the pitch in the 38th minute before the freshman found Danica Anaya in the box as the junior sent her shot past the Comets' keeper to give UT Tyler the lead 2-1. The Patriots outshot UTD 11 to five in the first half including four shots on goal.
The second half would be a defensive battle with 16 total shots sent to the net from both teams with 0 goals allowed. The UT Tyler back line of Arianna Johnson, Samantha White, Savanna Clark, and Audrey Varney would bend but not break helping Robbi Curry pitch a second half shutout to secure the historic win for the Patriots.
UT Tyler finished with a 21-11 shot advantage and put six attempts on goal while allowing two. Anaya picked up her first game-winning goal of the season, while reaching 10 points for the season. Diaz finished with three shots on the day including a goal adding two points in the match, as she reached 11 points for the season. Anderson added to her team leading point total recording an assist while leading the Patriots with five shots, including two on goal. Luff picked up an assist pushing her season total to 10 points.
The Patriots will take the pitch for the opening round of the Lone Star Conference tournament in Edmond Oklahoma, Monday Nov. 2nd at 7:00 p.m as they take on Oklahoma Christian.
