Angelo State Rambelles Down UT Dallas at Home

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Angelo State women’s soccer team continued its strong late-season push Wednesday night, defeating UT Dallas 2-0 in the first-ever meeting between the programs at the LeGrand Soccer Complex.

With the win, the Rambelles improved to 9-3-4 overall and 8-2-2 in Lone Star Conference play, maintaining their position near the top of the league standings.

Angelo State came out with early pressure, recording four shots in the opening four minutes. UT Dallas goalkeeper McKenzie Hunninghake was tested immediately, turning away three of those early chances.

The Rambelles broke through late in the first half when Ashlyn Vick threaded a pass to Abby James, who redirected the ball toward Sanai Stewart. Stewart cut inside and fired a low shot that slipped through the goalkeeper’s hands, putting ASU ahead 1-0 at the break.

"The energy has been different," Head Coach Travis McCorkle said after the game. "At halftime, I talked about Whitni, Sanai, and Ashlyn. They were just causing a lot of problems out wide for UTD. Midfield did their part. The defense, I have to give them their props. UTD went down really easily, so I have to give credit to the team as a whole for their defense."

In the second half, Angelo State controlled possession and outshot the Comets 8-1 over the final 45 minutes. The decisive goal came in the 88th minute, when Lexi Gonzales sent a through ball into traffic that deflected to Emily Thames, who battled through several defenders before finding the back of the net to seal the 2-0 win.

The Rambelles finished with 20 shots (nine on target), while UT Dallas managed only five shots (two on goal). Goalkeeper Melyna Martinez notched her 10th shutout of the season, collecting two saves.

"This win does give us a lot of confidence, but we have a long drive, and we are playing against one of the teams with the most unique style in the conference, in my opinion, so that is gonna be a challenge for us," McCorkle continued. "If we have this focus and this toughness, it's going to take us as far as we want to go." 

Angelo State will close out the regular season on the road Saturday against Texas A&M International in Laredo. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Dustdevil Soccer Field.