SUPER SATURDAY: RAMS WIN TWO TITLES |
LAREDO, TX: It was a Super-Saturday for the Texas Wesleyan University soccer program as both the men’s and women’s teams won their first ever Red River Athletic Conference Championships. By winning their respective semifinals on Friday, the teams advanced to today’s finals of the conference tournament. The Lady Rams got the action started when they defeated the host team, Texas A&M International 5-1. The men’s team followed that game with a 5-4 win over UT-Permian Basin.
In the women’s match, the Lady Rams never gave the TAMIU crowd a chance to make a difference as they ran out to a 4-0 lead in the first half. Nicole Richardson scored the first two for Texas Wesleyan in the 5th and 22nd minutes. The Rams took a 3-0 margin when Jessica Carrion found Brianna McKernon for a score. They pushed that lead to 4-0 when Allison Heafner found the net just before the half.
In the second half, the Lady Rams brought the score to 5-0 when Shannah Bohon scored in the 63rd minute. The Dust Devils avoided the shutout when Kim Morren hit Erika Alcaraz for a score in the 79th minute.
Richardson’s two goals paced the rams while McKernon added three points on a goal and an assist.
With the win, the Lady Rams improved to 14-4. The Lady Rams not only earned their first Conference Champions, but earned the right to compete in the Regional VI Tournament on Tuesday, November 8, in Shawnee, OK. They will play the host team, Oklahoma Baptist at 2:30 John Brown will play Oklahoma City in the other semifinal.
In the men’s game, the Rams scored early and often. Seth Mullins scored just 31 seconds in. In the 22nd minute, Mullins hit Jose Melendez for another goal. In the 29th minute Mullins put the Rams ahead 3-0 when he scored off an assist from Jason Reid.
Permian Basin would not go quietly as they pulled to within one on goals from Raul Franco and Chad Mead just before the half. In the second half the two teams traded two goals apiece. Christian Villasenor’s score in the 71st minute would prove to be the game-winner. Carlos Guillen scored for the Falcons in the 84th minute, but Permian Basin would get no closer.
Mullins led the Rams with 5 points on 2 goals and an assist. Jason Reid added 3 points on a goal and an assist.
The RRAC-Championship was also the first for the men’s team. With the win they improved to 11-6-1 on the year. They will return to action when they compete in the Region VI Tournament Friday, November 11 in Bethany, OK. They will play the host team, Southern Nazarene. The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma will play Oklahoma Baptist in the other semifinal. “For four years the girls have been trying just to win a playoff game and this was awesome that they fnished this off with a conference,” said Head Coach Steve Jones. “For the men’s program, it was kind of the same thing. We started to turn this around when this year’s seniors were freshman, and this was special for them to win the conference championship. I’m extremely proud of both teams. They deserved it and earned it. The girls just came out on fire and played a brilliant game. The boys had a little tougher road, but they also played a brilliant game as well. That was a great game and they worked extremely hard for it. |
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