RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's soccer team earned a 2-1 win over the Nicholls Colonels Friday in the final regular season match at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
Senior defender
Libby Beilfuss tied the UTRGV program record as she made her 75th career start, matching
Marcela Ramirez (2014-17).
The Vaqueros (7-4-4, 3-1-3 Southland Conference) dictated the pace of play from the opening whistle. The first 15 minutes of the match saw UTRGV create a lot of traffic in its offensive third to put the Colonels on their heels. In the 14
thminute, a throw-in from Beilfuss bounced off some Vaqueros in the box, then redshirt junior
Savannah Frisby charged in, took control and sent a shot into the goal for the 1-0 lead. Junior forward
Olivia Trotter was credited with the assist.
Nicholls (2-10-1, 0-7-0 SLC) responded by creating some chances midway through the first half, but UTRGV's defense held strong and slowed the Colonels down in the home stretch. Offensively, the Vaqueros continued to apply pressure and extended the lead to 2-0 in the 33
rd minute. Senior defender
Abbie Bailey gained possession at the edge of the midfield circle and raced through the defense, then sent a shot from the top of the box that went by the diving keeper.
UTRGV outshot Nicholls 6-2 in the opening 45 minutes and put four shots on goal. Freshman forward
Lisa Elowsson had two close calls in the final three minutes of play, sending one shot off the right post and getting called offsides on a would-be goal with 16 seconds on the clock.
The second half looked like a more even affair. Nicholls increased its time of possession as the Colonels took advantage of five foul calls against UTRGV. In the 63
rd minute, Nicholls got on the board on a shot from
Koryn Barrett off an assist from
Peyton Bastine, making it 2-1.
The goal sparked something in UTRGV, and the Vaqueros increased their intensity. After taking just one shot through the first 20 minutes of the half, they created a barrage of chances late in the half. Freshman midfielder
Rubi Ortiz, sophomore midfielder
Linnea Eld and Elowsson were among the Vaqueros to pepper the Nicholls keeper with nine shots in a roughly 20-minute stretch.
Megan Cook made one save and the other looks missed high or wide.
UTRGV's defense held up and secured the victory. The Vaqueros outshot Nicholls 17-4. Cook finished with four saves for the Colonels.
The Vaqueros will be back in action Oct. 25 at Southeastern at 6 p.m.
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