Tag: women’s soccer

Women’s soccer blanks North American University 6-0

The women’s soccer squad raced past North American University (NAU) 6-0 on Oct. 19. The Saints improve to 7-3-2 overall and 6-2-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Stallions drop to 3-9-2 overall and 1-7-1 in conference.

Head Coach Lee Williams said, “It was great to see everyone play major roles during this really hard-fought game. We were happy with how we kept our standards high and played to our level. I’m proud with how we stuck to the game plan and were patient and persistent in possession. The movement was excellent today and created a lot of problems for them. We have two home games now and we get a chance to play in front of our tremendous fans! We will see you all on Thursday Saints fans!”

History
The Saints won the only meeting between the two programs 3-0 last season.

Game recap
OLLU’s first goal came from freshman Angela Garcia at the 26th minute. Lyndee Rheinberger scored eight minutes later with an assist from Anisia Serrano. The Saints took a two-goal lead to halftime after totaling eight shots and one corner kick. Haven Ortiz scored just minutes into the second half at the 47th mark. Garcia assisted on a goal by Leah Tapia at the 68th minute to increase the advantage to four goals. Emerson Weiler capitalized at the 73rd minute and Rheinberger scored her second goal of the game with three minutes left in the contest. NAU’s Andrea Davila was shown a yellow card at the 48th minute. Savanna Serna received a yellow card at the 67th minute. London Suarez played the first 47 mintues in net with four saves. Samantha Valadez took over in the second half and had one save. The Saints finished with 19 shots and five corner kicks.

What’s next
The Saints return home to host LSU-Alexandria on Thursday at 1 p.m.

Women’s soccer impresses in 4-1 victory over TAMUSA

The women’s soccer squad downed Texas A&M University-San Antonio (TAMUSA) 4-1 on Saturday. The Saints improve to 6-3-1 overall and 5-2 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Jaguars drop to 3-3-1 overall and 3-5-1 in conference.

History
The Saints were 1-0-2 against the Jaguars prior to the game.

Game recap
The Saints started the scoring just six minutes into the contest. Ez Valles drew a penalty and proceeded to score on the penalty kick. OLLU unfortunately scored an own goal at the 16th minute to even the game.

Leah Tapia put the Saints ahead again at the 25th minute with an assist from Allison Kostoch. The Saints took a one-goal lead into the break.

The scoring stalled until the 85th minute when Vivianna Gutierrez put the Saints up by two goals. Angela Garcia added the fourth goal from far out that was placed perfectly over the goalkeeper’s head. The Saints won 4-1 backed by 19 total shots.

Samantha Valadez improved to 6-3-1 in net with four saves. Emerson Weiler and Dusty Van Huss were both shown yellow cards. The Saints have won five straight contests.

What’s next
OLLU plays at Xavier University of Louisiana on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Saints are in fifth place in the RRAC, while the Gold Nuggets top the standings at 8-3 overall and 7-0 in conference.

Women’s soccer allows no shots from Paul Quinn in a 5-0 win

The women’s soccer team crushed Paul Quinn College (PQC) with a 5-0 win in a Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) matchup on Oct. 5. The Saints improve to 5-3-1 and 4-2 in conference, while PQC drops to 0-5-2 in conference and 0-6-2 overall.

Head Coach Lee Williams praised the team’s resilience, stating, “All credit to Paul Quinn. They changed their tactics and made it difficult for us to score in the first half. But I was really happy with how we exploited the spaces they left and positioned ourselves to create multiple chances in the first half. In the second half, they had to come out a little more as we kept the ball with our defenders. They allowed us to get behind and score in the second half. Everyone contributed this week. It has been a bit of a grueling trip. Two wins away from home is always a big ask, but we were up for the challenge. We are back home now for an actual full week of training and a really exciting game against a local rival. It should be an excellent representative for college soccer in San Antonio!”

History
The Saints have a dominant record of 10-0 against the Tigers. In these games, they have not allowed a single goal to be scored by the Tigers, showcasing their defensive prowess and the Tigers’ struggle to break through.

Game recap
Sara Garza scored the first and only goal in the opening half on an assist from Rheinberger, and she added two shots, both on goal.

Lyndee Rheinberger led the Saints’ offense with four shots, four on goal. In the second half, she added a goal with an assist from Emerson Weiler and assisted on two others. Shante Chacon had two shots, both on goal. She scored with an assist from Allison Kostoch. Vivianna Gutierrez also scored with an assist from Leah Tapia. Gabrielle Pace added a goal on an assist from Rheinberger.

OLLU keeper London Suarez recorded a clean sheet. Paul Quinn’s Fernanda Rosas tallied 11 saves.

What’s next
OLLU returns home to host Texas A&M University–San Antonio, a local rival and a strong contender in the RRAC, on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Women’s soccer defeats Jarvis Christian, 1-0

The women’s soccer team played an evenly matched Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) game against Jarvis Christian University (JCU), but one goal by the Saints gave them the win. The women improved to 3-3-1 overall and 2-2-0 in the conference, while JCU dropped to 2-4-1 and 1-2-1 in the conference.

History
The Saints have a dominant record of 10-0-1 against the Bulldogs, with the tie coming in 2021 when both teams failed to score.

Game highlights
London Suarez made her first start guarding the net for the Saints. She performed effectively by thwarting three attempts from JCU. Leah Tapia took three different shots on goal, but none went through. Lyndee Rheinberger also made two attempts, but the half ended with no goals scored.

OLLU keeper Samantha Valadez took over defending the net in the second half. The period started with five Jarvis fouls and a yellow card to Briza Ibarra. After JCU keeper Andrea Cepeda saved a stab at a goal from Ez Valles, Emily Wissel-Littman followed to shoot one in and give the Saints the 1-0 lead.

Despite the high level of frustration, the Saints maintained their sportsmanship. JCU’s Brisa Ibarra was shown a yellow card followed by a red card 10 minutes later for a rough tackle. The Saints continued to battle after four straight fouls were called against them.

The Saints’ unity was evident in their aggressive offense, with five team members taking six shots on goal. Emily Wissell-Littmann’s decisive kick-in, proved to be the game-winning goal.

Leah Tapia led the team with four shots, while Rheinberger and Wissell-Littmann each took two shots on goal.

Cepeda recorded the loss for Jarvis as she played all 90 minutes. Suarez saved four for the Saints, while Valadez saved three and earned the win.

Both team’s stats were almost identical, with JCU taking 12 shots and OLLU taking 14; JCU with three corners and OLLU with four; and JCU recorded six saves, while OLLU had eight.

What’s next
Looking ahead, the Saints will be on the road, traveling to the University of the Southwest in Hobbs, N.M., on Thursday. They will then head to Dallas on Saturday for a game against Paul Quinn College.

Women’s soccer shuts out Schreiner 2-0

The women’s soccer team blanked Schreiner University (SU) 2-0 on Sept. 9. The Saints improve to 1-1-1 while the Mountaineers fall to 1-2-1.

Head Coach Lee Williams said, “We started strong and capitalized on a well worked set piece to take an early lead. It is satisfying as a coach when something we have worked on a lot on the training ground comes to fruition. The performance today was ‘gritty not pretty’ but they showed on the field what it takes to be a Saint. The second goal killed off the game at a good time. The ideas are coming and now we focus on our execution. We work hard to win the ball and we need to be patient in possession and penetrate at the right time. I’m happy for the group and the ‘game changers’ were excellent today when they came on.”

The Saints wasted no time pressuring on offense. Sophomore Eleonora Diversi scored in the second minute with an assist from Leah Tapia. The Saints took four shots in the following 23 minutes while allowing only one by the Mountaineers. Dusty Van Huss took two shots in the last few minutes before halftime, and the Saints led 1-0 at the break. Aspen Ulibarri totaled two shots in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but neither were on goal. The first shot on goal in the second frame by the Saints was a goal by Angela Garcia. The freshman scored in the 66th minute to increase OLLU’s lead to 2-0. Savanna Serna was shown a yellow card at the 79th minute. Anisia Serrano had two shots, with one on goal, in the final six minutes. OLLU’s defense was solid and forced goalkeeper Samantha Valadez to only make one save. Valadez earned the win after playing all 90 minutes.

GAME LEADERS
Eleonora Diversi and Angela Garica – goals

Sara Garza – 2 shots on goal

Leah Tapia – assist

TEAM STATS
OLLU 13 shots/SU 6

OLLU 5 SOG/SU 1

OLLU 2 corners/SU 0

OLLU 4 fouls/SU 5

What’s next
The Saints begin Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) play at LSU-Shreveport on Thursday at 1 p.m. 

Women’s soccer draws against USAO

The women’s soccer team ended their contest in a 1-1 tie against the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) on Aug. 31. The Saints move to 0-1-1 while the Drovers are now 3-0-1.

Head Coach Lee Williams, commented, “We made it very uncomfortable for a team being recognized on the national stage with some exceptional individuals. Conceding the goal in the last minutes after everything we had done to manage the game, I feel for everyone that worked so hard. We are really coming together every game. Some of the soccer we played in moments was composed and had real purpose. The team has bought into everything we are trying to implement, and I love this team. We talk constantly about what it takes to be a Saint. I’m proud and happy with the way everyone represented themselves and the program today. We are excited to see what this group can do in the future. The future of OLLU soccer is going to be fun!”

The first half was scoreless. The Drovers recorded nine shots in the half while the Saints took four. Samantha Valadez made two shots and the Saints didn’t take a corner kick. The Drovers first two shots were within the first ten minutes. Chiara Schillinger was shown a yellow card in the 13th minute, just prior to the Saints first shot by Ez Valles. The Drovers took three of the next four shots. Vivianna Gutierrez picked up a yellow card at the 38th minute. The Drovers took a shot two minutes before the half ended.

The Saints struck first in the second half. Freshman Angela Garcia scored at the 54th minute to put the Saints on top. The Saints continued to pressure with multiple corner kicks in the following minutes. The teams continued to trade corner kicks throughout the last minutes. The Drovers scored a late goal at the 88th minute to tie the game. The Saints had a shot on goal and also a header that missed in the final minute. The game ended in a draw with six different Saints players recording at least one shot.

GAME LEADERS
Kaitlyn Olivas and Eleonora Diversi– 3 shots
Angela Garcia – goal
Samantha Valadez – 5 saves

TEAM STATS
OLLU 12 shots/USAO 15
OLLU 3 SOG/USAO 6
OLLU 5 corners/USAO 9
OLLU 11 fouls/USAO 11

What’s next
The Saints play an exhibition at home against University of Texas Permian-Basin on Thursday.

OLLU women’s soccer begins new era

The women’s soccer team is ushering in a new era with the appointment of Lee Williams as Head Coach this summer. Williams, a former graduate assistant for the soccer teams at OLLU, brings with him a master’s degree from OLLU and an illustrious soccer coaching career. His return is marked by a strong dedication to the program and a fervent passion for the success of the women’s team, inspiring a new wave of enthusiasm. 

Williams joins one of the university’s most successful teams, which has a rich history of achievements. This includes two tournament runners-up, four tournament semifinalists, one quarterfinal and an impressive five tournament championships and six regular-season titles. In 17 seasons, the women have missed the postseason just twice. This successful history sets a high standard for the upcoming season and gives everyone a reason to be excited and optimistic. 

Schedule overview (Numbers after school indicate all-time records.) 
The Saints will visit NCAA D2 St. Mary’s University (3-5-3) on the Aug. 19. They will host NCAA D3 Schreiner University (8-0-1) on Aug. 23, followed by a match at NCAA D3 Texas Lutheran University (7-2) on Aug. 26 in Seguin. 

They will travel to Oklahoma City University (4-4-1) on Aug. 29 and Chickasha, Okla., to play the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (1-3-2) on Aug. 31. After two more nonconference matches vs. NCAA D2 University of Texas Permian Basin on Sept. 5 and at Schreiner University on Sept. 9, the Saints will begin their conference schedule. They will travel to Louisiana for a match against LSUS (8-4-3) on Sept. 19, followed by a game at TAMUT (6-3-1) on Sept. 21. The women return home to host TC (15-0) on Sept. 26 and JCU (9-0-1) on Sept. 28. 

OLLU will travel to New Mexico to play USW (30-3) on Oct. 3 and to Dallas to play PQC (9-0) on Oct. 5. They return to host AM-SA (1-0-2) on Oct. 12 before hitting the road again against XULA (0-1) on Oct. 17 and NAU (1-0) on Oct. 19. The Saints will host LSUA (9-2-1) on Oct. 24 and LCU (2-2-1) on Oct. 26 before heading out to UHV (14-1-2) on Oct. 31. The team will play their last game of the season at home against HTU (13-3) on Nov. 2. 

The RRAC postseason runs from Nov. 8-9 at campus sites, and the semifinals will take place Nov. 14-16 at Morgan Field in Texarkana, Texas. 

Senior class 
The Saints will be led by eight seniors this season, including standouts Haven Ortiz, Lyndee Rheinberger, Samantha Valadez and Ez Valles, who returns as a graduate student. Other seniors include London Suarez, Dusty Van Huss, Sara Nishiyama and Olivia Olivarez. 

Other returners 
Standout juniors include Sara Garza, Savanna Serna, Bethany Garr, Vivianna Gutierrez and Emerson Weiler, as well as Kaitlyn Olivas and Gabrielle Pace. 

Sophomores returning are Elizabeth Gregurek, Sofia Davila, Leah Tapia, Allison Kostoch, Odet Mota, Mia Saenz and Anisia Serrano. 

Newcomers 
Newcomers include graduate student Emily Wissel-Littmann, juniors Shante Chacon and Julia Moreira, sophomores Eleonora Diversi and Chasity Valdez and freshmen Elena Alarcon, Angela Garcia, Katherine Delgadillo, Isabella Maldonado-Esparza, Mariana Medrano-Sanchez, Sadie Rios, Kayla Martinez and Leanne Garza. 

Academics 
In academics once again, the Saints have demonstrated their commitment to excellence, earning their 10th NAIA Scholar-Team Award. Of the 34 members of the team, 30 achieved GPAs of 3.0 and above. Nine achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA, 13 earned 3.50-3.99 GPAs, and eight had GPAs of 3.0-3.49. This academic success is a testament to the team’s dedication and hard work. 

Saints volleyball, soccer players earn All-Conference honors

Volleyball
Six members of the OLLU volleyball team were named to NAIA All-Conference teams.

Recipients from OLLU are as follows: 
• Attacker of the Year: Mia Francis
• Setter of the Year: Lauren Reynard
• Defender of the Year: Tina Trevino
• Mia Dorsey, Madalyn Gonzalez and Camila Ramirez join Francis, Reynard and Trevino on the All-Conference First-Team. Dorsey, Ramirez, Reynard and Trevino are second-year First-Team honorees. Francis and Gonzalez earned Second-Team honors last year.
• Gonzalez also repeats as the Champions of Character winner this year. 

Women’s Soccer
Four members of the women’s soccer team earn All-Conference honors.

Recipients are:
• Jaylin Seto and Deanna Tarango earned All-Conference Second Team honors. This is Seto’s fourth All-Conference award. She was named to the First Team in 2019 and 2020 and Honorable Mention in 2021. She was second on the team in goals with four, in shots with 36 and in shots on goal with 20. She was first in assists with five. Tarrango won First-Team honors in 2020 and 2022. She started in all 14 games for the Saints as a defender.
• Allison Kostoch is on the All-Freshman Team. 
• Rachel Dziuba also repeats as the Champions of Character winner this year. She also won this award in 2020.

Men’s Soccer
Three from the men’s soccer team were recognized by the NAIA with All-Conference honors.

Recipients are:
• Samuel Villegas earned All-Conference Second-Team honors. He led the team in goals with 10, in shots with 48 and in shots on goal with 28. 
• Louis Nicholson was named to the All-Freshman Team.
• Harry Acklam won the Champions of Character award this year. 


Women’s soccer blanks North American 3-0, honors seniors

The women’s soccer team downed North American University (NAU) 3-0 on Oct. 14. The Saints improve to 7-3-1 overall and 6-2-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Stallions drop to 4-6 overall and 2-6 in conference play. 

Prior to the game, the university honored seniors Samantha Benne, Ijayla Criswell, Rachel Dziuba, Samantha Nava, Tess Pitcher, Jaylin Seto, Kyleigh Spree-Kolos, Deanna Tarango and Ez Valles.

History
This was the first meeting between the two programs.

Basics
The Saints blanked the Stallions in the RRAC match. Jaylin Seto opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a shot from far out that found the back of the net. Ez Valles followed with a goal under 10 minutes later. The Saints went into halftime with the advantage and had 10 shots. Vivianna Gutierrez scored eight minutes into the second half with an assist from Lyndee Rheinberger. The Saints finished with 22 shots and Tess Pitcher made five saves in the shutout win.

Scoring overview
28′ – OLLU – Jaylin Seto37′ – OLLU – Ez Valles53 – OLLU –  Vivianna Gutierrez (assisted by Lyndee Rheinberger)

Inside the box score
Seto led the Saints with six shots, four on goal. Victoria Cantu had two shots on goal for the Stallions.

Overall, the Saints tallied 22 shots, with 11 on goal. NAU recorded eight shots with five shots on goal.

The Saints tallied nine corner kicks while the Stallions had three.

Women’s soccer defeats Texas College 9-0

The women’s soccer team shut out Texas College (TC) 9-0 in a Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) matchup Sept. 21.

Head Coach Victoria Vazquez commented, “We had a great offensive performance that took a while to come to fruition. However, I am proud of the patience we showed. Overall, it was a collaborative effort, and we will prepare for our next match.

History
The Saints are 15-0 against the Steers. Last season, the Saints defeated TC 14-0. The Saints have allowed just one goal against the team – in 2009, when they won 6-1. All other games have been shutouts.

Basics
The Saints took the first shot against the Steers after 25 seconds into the match. Vivianna Gutierrez‘s kick went wide left, and Lyndee Rheinberger followed 28 seconds later with a shot that went wide left. Allison Kostoch had the game’s first shot on goal just before the two-minute mark. The Saints proceeded to take four more shots on goal and six shots before Ijayla Criswell found the net for the Saints’ first goal. Katelyn Brandao assisted on the point.

The Saints continued to dominate with three more shots, four on goal before the women scored their second goal at the 35th minute. Sara Garza gave the Saints the 2-0 lead with the unassisted goal.

Two more shots, one on goal, preceded the Saints’ third goal at the 40th minute. Ez Valles found the back of the net to give the Saints the 3-0 lead. Just three minutes later, the Saints scored their fourth goal. Garza had her second goal of the game on an assist from Emerson Weiler. A fifth goal ended the first half. Garza logged her first collegiate hat trick when she scored off an assist from Valles.

The Saints marked seven shots and seven on goal before Rheinberger scored the team’s six goal off an assist from Samantha Benne at the 64th minute. Twenty-nine seconds later, Leah Tapia found the net on an assist from Weiler. Four shots, two on goal, preceded the team’s eighth goal from Dusty Van Huss, on an assist from Brandao. Three shots came before Lilliana Martinez scored OLLU’s ninth and final goal of the game on an assist from Bethany Garr.

Scoring overview
28′ – OLLU – Ijayla Criswell, assisted by Katelyn Brandao

35′ – OLLU – Sara Garza

40′ – OLLU – Ez Valles

43′ – OLLU – Sara Garza, assisted by Emerson Weiler

44′ – OLLU – Sara Garza, assisted by Ez Valles

64′ – OLLU – Lyndee Rheinberger, assisted by Samantha Benne

65′ – OLLU – Leah Tapia, assisted by Emerson Weiler

77′ – OLLU – Dusty Van Huss, assisted by Katelyn Brandao

87′ – OLLU – Lilliana Martinez, assisted by Bethany Garr

Inside the box score
The Saints recorded 30 shots in the first half and 28 shots in the second half, with a total of 33 on goal. The Steers had no shots in the game.

OLLU recorded 10 corner kicks and the Steers had none.

Tess Pitcher played the first half to earn the win; Elizabeth Gregurek substituted in to play the second half – none recorded any saves. Dallanna Rodriguez for Texas College recorded 24 saves.

Up next
The Saints host the University of the Southwest on Thursday at 1 p.m. on the OLLU Soccer Field.