Sophomore goalie Caitylin Draper made two key saves, allowing Texas State Soccer to force a 0-0 draw against undefeated No. 13 Oklahoma State University, Thursday night at Neal Patterson Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
“That was a really good result for us,” Texas State Head Coach Steve Holeman. “To shutout one of the best teams in the country on their field took a complete effort. They are very good in every position and we had to be at our best to keep them off the board.”
The start of the match showed high energy from both sides, with Texas State senior defender Lucy Hart and junior forward Mady Soumare putting high pressure on attempted attacks by the Cowgirls from both ends of the pitch.
Attacks from the Cowgirls found their way primarily from the flanks of the field, but collective defense from the Bobcats left the services unfinished.
As the Bobcats settled into the first half, the midfield began to piece together combination plays, putting them in close position with the goal and testing Oklahoma’s shutout defense.
Though the first 45 minutes involved back-and-forth play with both teams applying high pressure, Oklahoma State created many goal opportunities with five shots on goal and four corner kicks.
From the first pass of the second half, the battle for a goal continued at high speed, with the Cowgirls earning one-on-one attacks often. Still, Bobcat defenders showed discipline in the final third, executing multiple clean tackles in and around their 18-yard box.
As the half wore on, Texas State found themselves increasingly on the defensive end, sophomore midfielder, Victoria Meza, played a key role in recovering and flighting for possession in attacking transitions made by the Cowgirls.
Draper successfully saved 11 on-frame shots. In the 86th minute, Draper dove after and saved a strike headed for the far-side post to clinch the draw. Draper’s save percentage rose to .920.
After breaking their losing streak, the Bobcats will look to add a win to their record against their next opponent Texas A&M Commerce University.
“Wie created a handful of quality chances. We continue to get better as this season rolls on and are looking forward to the next [game],” Holeman said.
Kickoff between Texas State and Texas A&M Commerce is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, at Lion Soccer Field in Commerce, Texas. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
