Andy Verke Jr.
The Texas A&M University-Texarkana women’s soccer team took the field against #4 seed Fisher College (Boston, MA) yesterday in its first ever post-season match. The Eagles were in complete control from start to finish, scoring a total of 7 goals in the match.
Fallon Keller (JR/Bakersfield, CA) opened up the scoring fest in the 10th minute (1-0). Keller’s goal was the 1st post-season goal in TAMUT soccer history. At the 24:55 minute mark, Arika Elliot (SO/Washington, MO) also took part in the scoring fest by drilling a long distance shot into the back of the net (2-0). A little less than a minute later Fisher College finds the back of the net making the score 2-1. Since the goal by Fisher College, the Eagles did not look back. The Eagles Emilee Bybee (FR/Keller, TX) would put in a goal of her own off an assist from Fallon Keller and Samantha Sharpnack-Isom (3-0). Bybee’s goal would be the last of the first half.
At the half, TAMUT led Fisher College 3-1.
The second half wasn’t any different from the first half. At the 55:57 minute mark, Leslie Arietta (SR/Fresno, CA) provided a great ball for Jena Arreola (SR/San Jacinto, CA) who found the back of the net (4-1). Michelle Lee (FR/Frisco, TX) also found the back of the net in the 61st minute (5-1). Sharpnack-Isom put one past the goalkeeper after receiving a great cross by Alyssa Ybarra (FR/San Antonio, TX) in the 69th minute (6-1). Erin Almengor (FR/Bakersfield, CA) finished the scoring fest in the 83rd minute. Almengor’s goal was her first ever goal as an Eagle.
Arika Elliot was pleased with how the team stating, “It was a great start to our first post-season appearance in the school history and I think we made a statement. It was a total team effort with 7 different goal scorers”.
TAMUT Eagles will face the top rank Ashford today at 3 p.m. central time. The winner of today’s game advances to the A.I.I. Soccer Championship game. You can watch the live stream of the game at the Georgia Gwinnett Athletics page for single game or a tournament pass at a cost or you can follow the game for a live play-by-play feed.