ODESSA, Texas (October 4, 2025) – The University of Texas Permian Basin women's soccer team took on the challenge of battling the No. 3-ranked team in NCAA Division II at home on Saturday, but in the end, the Falcons fell by a final score of 2-0 against the Patriots of Dallas Baptist University.

The first goal of the match came by McKenna Vela after a nice cross on the ground by Angelina Olmos in the ninth minute, and then the second goal came by Joeli Benson after a deflection landed at her feet in the 62nd minute.

DBU led 23-5 on total shots, 11-2 on shots on goal and 9-0 on corner kicks. For the second match in a row, the Falcons allowed their most shot attempts in a match since the final match of the 2023 season, but this time, they also allowed their most shots on goal in a match since that same contest, a 2-2 tie against Oklahoma Christian University.

UTPB managed three total shots and two shots on goal in the first half, all from Allyson Reed, who has now led the Falcons in shots for the second match in a row.

The Falcons did not have a shot on goal in the second half.

Although the result was the first time this season UTPB has allowed more than one goal in a match, it was nonetheless a slight improvement over last year's 3-0 loss at home against the Patriots in which the Falcons had just one shot on goal and allowed DBU to score a pair of goals just before halftime (42nd and 43rd minutes).

UTPB falls to 2-5-1 overall and 1-5-0 in the Lone Star Conference while DBU improves to a perfect 10-0 and 6-0.

Goalkeeper Valeria Delgado made nine saves in the match, including six in the second half after DBU went ahead 2-0. It was a career-high in saves for Delgado, who has 17 saves in the last two matches and has combined for 29 saves during the Falcons' current four-match skid.

Head Coach Garrett Kull said, 'It's been a tough run of results for the team, but to go out and compete with a top-5 team in the country was a point of pride for us today. Right now we're still trying to continue to work and highlight the good that we are seeing on the field. This team has continued to push their level, and we have a strong belief that results are coming for us this season."

The Patriots have yet to give up a goal since September 10, a span that now stretches to seven straight matches. The Patriots have also gone 703 minutes without conceding a goal. Thanks in large parts to the effort at center back by Parker Coe, who recently became the first United Soccer Coach NCAA Division II Women's Soccer National Player of the Month (September) in program history, DBU boasts the third-best scoring defense in the nation, surrendering just 0.20 goals per game.

Just one week before playing UTPB, DBU set a new school record with 12 goals in a 12-0 victory over Eastern New Mexico University. This year's version of the Patriots is the first team in program history to open a season with 10 straight wins. Lastly, with the win at UTPB on Saturday, DBU Head Coach Marcus Wood breaks into the top-20 all-time for wins (444) in NCAA women's soccer history.

The Falcons remain at home on Wednesday, October 8, to host Texas Woman's University at 7 p.m.