UTRGV women’s soccer (3-0-2, 0-0-1) plays to a 1-1 double-overtime draw against Seattle U (0-2-1, 0-0-1) to start conference play today at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
The defending 2019 WAC champion Redhawks started the game on the offensive as junior forward Sydney Carr scored the first goal by rifling a shot to the far post past Vaquero sophomore goalkeeper Maile Lunardi in the 15th minute.
Seattle U would remain the aggressors in the first 45 minutes of action as they outshot UTRGV 8-1 and 5-0 on goal.
In the postgame news conference via Zoom, UTRGV Head Coach Glad Bugariu spoke of the Redhawks’ attacking form and the adjustments his squad made at the break.
“We felt that Seattle [U] didn’t build through the middle as much as we thought they would in the first half,” Bugariu said. “So, I felt if I changed the system to and play a little higher I thought we could create some chances, which we did.”
The tables would turn in the second half as the Vaqueros would put their foot on the gas and pressure the backline of Seattle U as they would outshoot the Redhawks 10-5 with four shots on goal by both teams.
UTRGV would tie the game at one-all in the 61st minute as junior forward Emily Zapata would find the back of the net from 12 yards out as she was assisted by senior and sophomore midfielders Gina Steiner and Anna Torslov, respectively.
Zapata came on to the pitch as a substitution at the start of the final 45 minutes for junior defender Kryssie Rivera and scored her first goal of the 2021 season and 20th of her collegiate career.
In overtime, the Redhawks outshot the Vaqueros 3-1 and 1-0 on goal.
Although UTRGV’s 345-minute shutout streak, which started back on Feb. 7 in a 1-0 victory over Incarnate Word, was snapped, Lunardi recorded a career-high nine saves.
Redhawks sophomore goalkeeper Madison Waguespack finished the match with three saves.
Bugariu after the game acknowledged that both squads had plenty of opportunities to score the game-winning goal but iterated that there is still nearly two-months of WAC play remaining.
“They’re [Seattle U] one of the best teams in the conference, the defending champions and this conference regular season is a long season, it’s not one game,” he said “So, we’ll take the point and move on toward Monday.”
The Vaqueros will be back in action at 11 a.m. Monday in a rematch against the Redhawks at home after their previously scheduled game on Thursday was rescheduled due to travel issues and Winter Storm Uri, according to the UTRGV Athletics Department.
The game will be limited to only families of student-athletes and coaches as the department does not want to resupply concessions as members of the community struggle in the aftermath of Uri.
You can watch the match live at the WAC Digital Network at wacdigitalnetwork.com.
Twitter: @Radio_Rubio
