Scorpions shut down USW, clinch share of conference championship
HOBBS, N.M. - The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College women's soccer team clinched a Red River Athletic Conference co-championship with a 5-0 win over University of the Southwest on Saturday.
The Scorpions (8-5-1) finish RRAC play with a 6-1 record, tying Northwood and Texas Wesleyan. By conference tiebreaker rules of goals scored in conference games, UTB-TSC will be the second seed in the RRAC Tournament on Friday and Saturday in Fort Worth and receive a bye from the quarterfinals. The Scorpions next play at 2 p.m. Friday.
"It's great to be in this position, the ladies worked extremely hard and are truly deserving of being co-champs," Scorpions coach Nik Barjaktarevic said. "We were happy that we got the shutout, and how can you not be with six goals in the net? It was a really good team effort. Our focus now shifts to the conference tournament, and we want to defend our championship."
In 2007, the Scorpions finished third in the regular season but won the RRAC tournament.
Linette Cuvillier sparked the Scorpions with two goals and two assists, and Verena Wonsikowski added two goals. The Scorpions dominated, outshooting USW 34-4 overall and 19-1 in shots on goal.
Helen Wagstaff scored in the fourth minute on Cuvillier's cross, and Cuvillier scored in the 12th minute on Olyvia Gaytan's assist for a 2-0 halftime lead.
The Scorpions exploded for four second-half goals. Wonsikowski had two goals within 30 seconds in the 55th minute, getting assists by Sara DiBenedetto and Milica Mihajlovic. Cuvillier added her second goal in the 61st minute with an assist by Rochelle Bryan, and Sami Thorman capped the scoring in the 83rd minute with an assist by Cuvillier.
Elizabeth Drake and Stephanie Reid shared goalkeeper duties for the Scorpions.
Scorpions win, finish regular season with eight-game winning streak
HOBBS, N.M. - The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College men's soccer team completed an undefeated run through the Red River Athletic Conference for the second straight year, capping an unbeaten conference season with a 3-1 win over University of the Southwest on Saturday.
The Scorpions (13-4) will ride an eight-game winning streak into the RRAC Tournament semifinals as the No. 1 seed at 4 p.m. Friday.
Again the Scorpions dominated, outshooting USW 18-3.
"We really dominated the game, especially the first half," Scorpions coach Dan Balaguero said. "It's a great regular season and quite an achievement for the team to finish the season with eight straight victories."
Juan Nava, who scored two goals during Friday's 5-2 victory over College of Santa Fe, got the Scorpions on the scoreboard in the second minute with assists by Tony Vernaschi and Fernando Mendoza. James McCarron's goal on a penalty kick made it 2-0 at halftime.
USW cut the lead to 2-1 before Enrique Rivera scored with assists by Ricky Rodriguez and Darren O'Connor in the 73rd minute to put the game away.
The Scorpions had seven shots on goal compared to one by USW. Juan Gamboa played all 90 minutes as goalkeeper for the Scorpions.
"Any team would be happy to be 13-4 in the regular season," Balaguero said. "Now we need to keep our focus for the conference tournament next week."
Scorpions drop matches to Our Lady of the Lake in San Antonio, HTU in Austin
SAN ANTONIO and AUSTIN - Our Lady of the Lake and Huston-Tillotson took advantage of a University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College women's volleyball team short two starters in 3-1 victories Saturday in gymnasiums 75 miles apart.
The HTU game was a Red River Athletic Conference matchup that left both teams with identical 5-4 conference records. HTU is 8-17, and UTB/TSC is 8-20.
Sophomore Jenny Soto did not make the road trip with an illness, and denior captain Katie Japp is still out with a hand injury.
"Not having Jenny, it's an offensive weapon we need to have available because Chelsea (Spadaro) has to play all the way around," Scorpions coach John Barnes said. "It was pretty much the same story both matches. It was a game of streaks, and the other teams had more streaks than we did. We had our opportunities in both matches."
Against Huston-Tillotson, Jeanne O'Leary had 14 kills and 10 digs, and Jacque Touchet had 10 kills, 16 digs and four blocks to lead the Scorpions' front line. Chelsea Spadaro contributed 32 assists.
On the defensive side, Gaby Maraboto and Anayeli Trevino had 11 digs each.
Against Our Lady of the Lake, O'Leary led the Scorpions in kills with 11 and Touchet had eight. O'Leary and Maraboto had 14 digs each, while Spadaro had 13 digs and 24 assists.
Lesly Montes and Trevino had 11 assists each. Touchet and Spadaro added three blocks each.
The Scorpions continue their road trip with a 2 p.m. today at NCAA Division I Houston Baptist, their last road match of the regular season. UTB/TSC ends the regular season with home conference matches against Wiley College on Friday and against Jarvis Christian College and Texas College on Saturday.
