Last Road Trip For OLLU Ends In Loss To Houston-Victoria

VICTORIA, TEXAS (Oct. 31, 2024) – With the 2024 season winding down, the Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) women's soccer team played its last away game this afternoon and lost to the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) Jaguars 2-1. The Saints are now 7-6-2 overall and 6-5-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Jaguars improve to 11-4 overall and 8-4 in conference.

Head Coach Lee Williams acknowledged the team's efforts, saying, "We started really slow and went down in the first five minutes again. After we made changes, we took control of the game and created a number of chances, but we couldn't finish the opportunities. In the second half, we were on top for pretty much the whole half. We got in behind them so many, many times but couldn't score. They scored on a set piece which we had prepared for, but we lost concentration for a split second. That really kickstarted our intensity, and we got back into the game with a well-worked opportunity. I'm really happy with how we ended the game. We now turn our focus to Saturday and celebrate our seniors for the outstanding contributions they have made to the program."

History

The Saints are 14-2-2 against UHV. Last season, the Saints won 2-0.

Game Recap

UHV's Estelle Flanagan took a quick shot that net keeper Samantha Valadez saved, but she got her second shot in to put them up 1-0 in the 12th minute.

The Saints finally had their first opportunity in the 26th minute, but Angela Garcia's two shots were saved, and after a handful of shots from both teams, the first period ended.

Less than two minutes into the second half, the Jaguars added their second goal on a shot from Arianna Rios. The Saints had a bevy of chances, but the Jaguars' defense proved too relentless through the 75th minute. A foul within the box from UHV gave OLLU's Lyndee Rheinberger the opportunity to score off a penalty kick, and she did to put the Saints to within a goal at 2-1. The game ended with a shot from Anisia Serrano that went wide.

Rheinberger led all players on the field in shots taken with five. Angela Garcia took three shots, two on goal. Valadez saved two, while UHV keeper Franciezca Blancaflor saved four.

The Saints actually out-shot the Jaguars 13-11, with 10 taken in the second half.

What's next

The Saints welcome Huston-Tillotson University (HTU) on Saturday for the last regular-season home game. Before the start, OLLU will honor seniors Sara Nishiyama, Olivia Olivarez-Coil, Haven Ortiz, Lyndee Rheinberger, Samantha Valadez, Ez Valles, Dusty Van Huss and Emily Wissel-Littmann. These seniors have been instrumental in the team's success over the years and their contributions will be celebrated in a special ceremony.