CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women's soccer team battled Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (AMCC) to a 1-1 draw Thursday at Dr. Jack Dugan Family Soccer and Track Stadium in the South Texas Showdown presented by Rally Credit Union.
The Vaqueros (4-5-1, 0-1-1 SLC) overcame an early deficit as junior
Rubi Ortiz recorded her second career goal, first of the season, by finding the right side of the net on a chip shot, in the 74th minute to level the match off assists from sisters junior
Isabella Burtini and freshman
Angelina Burtini, bringing the match level at 1-1.
In their third match playing together as Vaqueros,
Angelina Burtini recorded her first career assist, and
Isabella Burtini recorded her third of the campaign to help set up Ortiz.
The Islanders (3-4-3, 0-1-1 SLC) opened the scoring in the ninth minute when
Katie Porter connected on a header into the top-left corner of the net off assists from
Sophia Dias and
Grace Clay.
AMCC controlled much of the first half with their possession and sharp passing game, while both defenses made life difficult in the final third. The physicality was evident as the teams combined for 12 fouls in the opening 45 minutes, with seven of those fouls drawn by UTRGV.
The Islanders held a 4-3 advantage in shots at halftime, with all three of the Vaqueros' attempts coming from
Isabella Burtini. Junior goalkeeper
Mariana Amezcua recorded two saves in the opening half to keep UTRGV within striking distance.
The Vaqueros came out of halftime looking to erase the deficit and continued to battle as the Islanders tested Amezcua early in the second half. AMCC's
Alisa Divano had a pair of shots saved by Amezcua in the 49
th and 61
st minutes, while
Natalie Taylor also tested the UTRGV goalkeeper in the 60
th minute.
UTRGV's attack began to find its rhythm as the second half progressed.
In the 73rd minute, sophomore
Amy Romero put a shot on target that was saved by AMCC goalkeeper
Addie Brown. Just 28 seconds later, the Vaqueros found their equalizer.
AMCC finished with an 8-6 advantage in shots, including a 6-2 edge in shots on goal. UTRGV recorded five saves compared with one for the Islanders, while AMCC held a 3-2 advantage in corner kicks. The Islanders were whistled for 12 fouls, while the Vaqueros committed 11.
This is the sixth time these teams draw against each other, last time they drew was in 2023 with a 1-1 finish, in Corpus Christi.
The Vaqueros return home Sunday to face Houston Christian University at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex at 11 a.m.
All matches held at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex will be free and open to the public. Gates open at 10 a.m.
UTRGV Athletics has a clear bag policy for spectators attending all athletic events hosted by UTRGV. You can get all the details
here.
Fans can tune in domestically on
ESPN+ or internationally through
Southland International or follow along through
live stats.
Support UTRGV Vaqueros™ |
Become a Fan on Facebook |
Follow us on Twitter |
Follow us on Instagram |
Follow us on YouTube
