Texas State soccer’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament run ended in an unfavorable outcome against the No.1 seeded James Madison University in a 3-2 loss by a last-minute goal from the Dukes Saturday night at the Foley Athletics Complex in Foley, Alabama.
For the first time in Head Coach Steve Holeman‘s career at Texas State, the Bobcats advanced to the SBC Tournament Championship.
James Madison University made a highly anticipated run to the Championship game, returning to the final match for the third consecutive year.
An unexpected narrative formed early in the match when James Madison senior forward Shea Collins nailed a shot past the Bobcat defense, putting the Dukes ahead 1-0 in the fifth minute.
The Bobcats struggled to string together an attack until the Duke’s exposed an unorganized defense once again, extending their lead 2-0 after a shot from senior midfielder Sophia Verrechia.
After a tackle from Duke redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sofia DeCerb on sophomore midfielder Kaylie Smith, the officials gifted the Bobcats a penalty kick in the 21st minute, where fifth-year midfielder Mya Ulloa fired a successful shot past DeCerb to get Texas State on the scoreboard.
Although energy turned up on the field for the Bobcats following their goal, the offense continued to struggle against a tightly kept James Madison defense that proved strong, keeping the Bobcats to a singular in the first half versus the Duke’s eight.
The Bobcats secured even ground in the Championship match as junior forward Zoe Junior broke away from the James Madison defense for a successful equalizing shot against DeCerb to bring a draw of 2-2.
Both teams fought relentlessly, displaying high energy from the offense and focus from the back lines, working to keep shots from the back of the net. Each team sent off five shots in the second period.
The difference was made in the last of those five shots by James Madison, as Collins crept up on the far side of the pitch to receive a cross that surpassed the Bobcat defense, setting Collins up for a clear shot, which she buried past Chrisman, regaining the lead for the Dukes 3-2 in the 88th minute.
Despite the defeat, Texas State exhibited growth in the 2024 season, improving from the No.8 seed in 2023 to No.3 this year and making it to the Sun Belt Championship for the first time in Bobcat history.
Junior forward Mady Soumare, Ulloa, and senior defender Kennly Bradley were named to the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team.
