PORTALES, N.M. (November 4, 2024) – The University of Texas Permian Basin women's soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision on the road at Eastern New Mexico University during its final road match of the 2024 season on what was a rainy, windy, and unseasonably cold night in Portales, New Mexico.

The loss snaps a three-match winning streak for UTPB (4-9-3, 2-8-2) against Eastern New Mexico (3-12-1, 2-10-0). The last four meetings between the teams before Monday had each been decided by just one goal. With their first win at home over the Falcons since 2018, ENMU improves to 7-1 all-time at home against UTPB.

UTPB outshot ENMU 4-0 to start the match and 7-3 in all for the first half, but both teams had just one shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes.

The physicality turned up in the second half and ENMU had three looks in the first 10 minutes of the period, the first coming just 10 seconds into the half on an opportunity by Ally Spicker in the box, who was instead called for a foul.

Just under five minutes into the second half, a mistake by the Falcons' goalkeeper Paula Camus walking outside of the goal box with the ball gave ENMU a free kick from the top of the box, but the shot by Louise Godden was blocked by the UTPB defense.

Then 10 minutes into the half, Mariana Gonzalez Jimenez was wide open in the middle of the box but misjudged the cross as the Falcons were able to avoid disaster yet again.

In the 67th minute, ENMU's Jacqueline Garcia played the wind almost perfectly and angled her corner kick toward the goal, but Camus was able to get down and dirty and keep it out.

The Greyhounds then used the wind to their advantage to get on the scoreboard in the 70th minute when Godden's shot from just under 25 yards out drifted over the arms of Camus and into the back of the net.

Despite the outcome, two of the standouts defensively for the Falcons on the night were Jessica Meira and Kristel Chaves. Regular defender Hayley Sawyer instead seemed to play in a more attacking position in this match and had a shot in the 79th minute, but mishit it and missed wide. Sawyer would finish with a match-high four shots.

A minute and a half later, the tired legs of a shorthanded Falcons' team came back to haunt them as a foul on Sophie Dionissiou gave the Hounds a free kick, and it was drilled by Sofia Trejo to the top-left corner of the goal from over 20 yards out.

The goals by Godden and Trejo were each the first of their careers. It was also the first-career win for ENMU's Nona Borden since taking over as the interim head coach of the program earlier in the season.

After an 8-4 shot advantage for the Hounds in the second half, both teams finished the match with 11 shots, but it was ENMU that outshot UTPB 4-2 on shots on goal.

UTPB's only shots on goal came from Sawyer in the 36th minute and Cassandra Ramirez in the 75th minute.

The Falcons will play their last match of the season at home against St. Mary's University at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 7.