Bearkats Defeats Panthers 1-0

by Cheval John

In her first collegiate game, freshman midfielder Ashley Alonzo scored the go-ahead, game-winning goal that gave the Sam Houston State Bearkat soccer team a 1-0 victory over the Prarie View A&M Panthers.

“I thought that Prarie View did a great job of making it difficult on us,” head coach Tom Brown said.

“They got a lot of numbers behind the ball.”

The Bearkats had the ball in the Panthers territory for most of the first half, but they could not produce any chances.

They were out shot by the Panthers 5-3.

The second half was a different story when the Bearkats create more chances for themselves.

They shot the ball fifteen times in the half, with the breakthrough coming in the 79^th minute when Alonzo made a sweet move past a defender and blasted a shot that went off the post and off goal keeper Bianca Garza into the net that gave the Bearkats a 1-0 lead.

“I saw the near-post wide open and that’s where I shot for,” Alonzo said.

“Luckily, it went in.”

The Panthers shot the ball three times in the second half, they had one last opportunity to equalize in the closing seconds of the match, but came up short in the end.

Though coach Brown wasn’t pleased with the performance, he is satisfied with the result and will use it to make some improvements going into the next match against Texas State on Sunday night.

“It’s a win,” coach Brown said. “I rather not play to my expectations and win than the opposite…We’ll have some things to learn.”