A year after a heartbreaking loss to James Madison, Texas State (10-3-7, 8-1-4 SBC) returned to the Sun Belt Conference championship game, and this time, finished the job. A 1-0 victory over the University of Louisiana Monroe (13-3-4, 8-1-4 SBC) clinched the Bobcats’ first and last ever Sun Belt Conference title Saturday night in Foley, Ala.
The Bobcats stayed back for the first 10 minutes, something they’ve done in every game so far this tournament to try and meet the pace of the match later. As expected, Texas State began to establish itself in the match as ULM dropped off its pressure. Sophomore winger Helen Alormenu switched from flank to flank and caused problems for ULM’s defense.
In the 30th minute, Texas State had the clearest chance of the match up to that point. Freshman Sadie Guzman had a 1v1 opportunity against the opposition’s goalkeeper, but her shot was blocked.
Just a few minutes later, freshman Matsuri Tsutsui dribbled into the box and had her attempt deflected away by the Warhawk goalie yet again. The Bobcats were in full control of the match, but they lacked the finishing touch in certain moments.
In the 54th minute, Guzman redeemed herself for her missed opportunity earlier. She received a world-class assist from Tsutsui, but this time, Guzman went past the goalie’s side and struck it past two retreating ULM players to give the Bobcats a deserved lead after controlling play for much of the match.
Despite leading, Texas State kept on pressuring ULM, trying to find a second goal.
Eventually, Texas State made no attempt at scoring and put all its players behind the ball. It was dicey at times, but the Bobcats held on, and for the first time, Texas State won the Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Championship.
A season that started with a tough non-conference schedule built into one where the team battled to a top-four seed. The playoffs weren’t determined by their quality, since every team that qualified had sparks and talented players. The Bobcats simply went out and got it, and under Steve Holeman’s steady leadership, they’ve brought home a title to San Marcos.
The story isn’t over yet, as the Bobcats qualified for the NCAA tournament. They’ll be going as the representatives of the Sun Belt Conference. But for now, Texas State can celebrate a successful run in Foley, Ala.
Texas State is guaranteed to make the NCAA tournament, earning the Sun Belt’s auto bid, but will find out its fate on Monday, Nov. 10, during the NCAA tournament selection show. The selection show will be live-streamed online at NCAA.com
