SAN ANTONIO – The Trinity University women's soccer team put on a dominant display on the road. The Tigers controlled play from the opening whistle, pinning the Jaguars to their defensive half for the majority of the game. The Tigers dismantled Texas A&M-San Antonio with a 7-0 victory behind a balanced attack that saw six different players find the back of the net.
The Rundown
Trinity pushed the pace early, testing the Jaguars goalkeeper with a string of shots and set pieces but still the opening 25 minutes stayed scoreless despite the pressure until the breakthrough came in the 26th minute.
Malea Cesar (Portland, Ore. / Sunset) buried a penalty kick drawn by
Madisyn Barganski (Corpus Christi, Texas / Flour Bluff) to put the Tigers up 1-0. Trinity wasted little time adding to the lead as just four minutes later,
Lila Bracken (Dallas, Texas / Lake Highlands) smashed a loose ball in the box to make it 2-0 heading toward halftime.
The Tigers did not let up after the break. In the 60th minute, a dangerous cross from Cesar forced an own goal, extending the lead to 3-0. Less than a minute later, Cesar converted her second penalty kick of the night, making it 4-0 and putting the result out of reach. The Tigers continued to create chances all over the pitch as substitutions were made. Barganski drew another penalty allowing
Lilly Fant (Crownsville, Md. / Old Mill) to calmly slot a penalty kick to the left corner to make it 5-0 in the 76th minute. The Tigers weren't finished as
Olivia Wagner (Bixby, Okla. / Bixby) added a screamer of a goal from the top of the box over the keeper's head in the 83rd minute for a 6-0 lead.
Finley Hoover (Houston, Texas / St. Agnes Academy) capped the scoring in the 86th minute with a slotted ball into the left corner off of an assist from
Talia Camin (Houston, Texas / Memorial) to seal the 7-0 final. Fant, Wagner and Hoover all capped their first career goals, displaying a game full of milestone moments for the Tigers. Defensively, Trinity was just as impressive, limiting the Jaguars ability to generate pressure and never allowing the Jaguars a real look at the scoreboard.
Up Next
The Tigers return home this weekend for a pair of matchups, hosting the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at 6:00 PM on Sunday, September 6th, before taking on Texas A&M-Victoria at 4:00 PM on Monday, September 7th. Trinity and UMHB played to a 1-1 draw last season, while Monday's matchup will mark the first-ever meeting between the Tigers and Texas A&M-Victoria.
If this home opener is any indication, the Tigers have set the tone early for a season built on depth and firepower, a promising sign as they look to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
