SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 10, 2013) -- The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) women's soccer team stunned the No. 15 team in the NAIA University of Texas at Brownsville by a score of 1-0 this afternoon.
The win keeps the Saints undefeated in the Red River Athletic Conference with a 4-0 record and 12-1-1 overall. Brownsville, which previously was tied with the Saints for first place, has dropped to third place with a 3-1 conference and 8-3 overall record. Huston-Tillotson University (3-0-1/4-4-2) is ½ a game behind the No. 1 Saints.
Graduate Assistant Coach Gary Hamilton said, "It's always good getting a win against Brownsville because they are our biggest rival, and they always have quality teams. We're happy with how we played, but there are a lot of improvements we have to make in order to keep being successful."
The Saints got on the board quickly after sophomore Stephania Vazquez found the net on a pass from sophomore Alissa Villarreal. The goal came following a foul by Brownsville's Katherine Vega.
The Ocelots would go on to shoot nine shots, four on goal, while the Saints shot four, three on goal to end the first half.
The Saints outshot Brownsville 14-8 in the second half.
OLLU keeper freshman Gabriela Lopez recorded four saves, while Brownsville's starting keeper Maria Eriksen recorded one and allowed the one goal. Second-half keeper Amanda Fulton finished with four saves for the Ocelots.
Vazquez led her team in shooting with five, three on goal. Stephanie Diaz shot three, two on goal. Brownsville's Isadora Freitas shot five, while her teammate Nelleke Smits added three.
Vazquez commented, "I feel very proud of my team. We didn't settle, and we kept playing even after we scored."
The win marks only the third time in 11 games that the Saints have defeated Brownsville. The biggest win against Brownsville came in 2009, when the Saints won 4-2.
In this week's NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the Ocelots were ranked No. 15, and the Saints received 10 votes.
The Saints will play their next game at Trinity University on Oct. 14. On Oct. 19, the team will play its last home game against Wiley College.