TJC Soccer: Apache Ladies win Region XIV Championship

Published 11:50 pm Tuesday, November 1, 2022

On a chilly Tuesday night, the No. 1 Apache Ladies scored a 2-1 win over No. 12 Angelina in an intense match for the Region XIV soccer championship at Pat Hartley Field.

Tyler Junior College stays unbeaten and improves to 19-0, while the Lady Roadrunners fall to 15-3-1. It was third win by TJC over AC (2-1 in 2 OTs on Sept. 7 in Tyler; 1-0 in OT on Oct. 5 in Lufkin).

The Apache Ladies will now face Region V champion and No. 3 ranked Hill College (14-1) on Saturday at Pat Hartley. The match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

“I was a little worried,” TJC Coach Corey Rose said. “One of our top center-backs (Ally Stickney) didn’t play the entire game because she got hurt in the last game (2-0 win over Jacksonville on Thursday in the semifinals). We put in a freshman (Bishop Gorman graduate Elizabeth Mahfood) who we haven’t utilized this year. She played a heck of a game. We needed somebody to step up in that position and she stepped up. Now, we know we can utilizer her in other situations.”

TJC took a 1-0 lead at 24 minutes and 55 seconds of the first half as Esalenna Galekhutle scored off an assist from Adizatu Mustapha.

Less than four minutes later, the Lady Roadrunners tied the game at 1-1 as Camila Montero, off an assist from Aliyah Bustamante, found the back of the net at 28:27.

As the pressure mounted, the Apache Ladies broke the tie as Ariana King scored at 68:04 for a 2-1 lead. Galekhutle had the assist.

TJC played defense the rest of the way to secure the win.

Daniella Wilken was in goal for TJC, making four saves.

The Apache Ladies had 11 shots and four corner kicks.

Rose praised the Angelina squad, “They are as athletic as all get out. They work hard. They are well-coached. So it is a battle. It is two evenly matched teams and we came out on the good side of the scoreboard the three times we played them this year.”

He also noted how proud he was of his Apache Ladies.

The winner of the TJC vs. Hill contest earns an automatic bid to the NJCAA Division I Women’s National Soccer Tournament, which is scheduled for Nov. 13-19 at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Georgia.

SMOKE SIGNALS: The No. 5 Apaches (13-2-1) will face No. 6 Angelina (15-2-1) in the Gulf South District Championship at 7 p.m. Thursday at Pat Hartley Field. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NJCAA National Men’s Soccer Tournament, which is scheduled for Nov. 13-19 at Orlando Health Stadium in Melbourne, Florida. … Defending NJCAA Women’s Basketball champion TJC Apache Ladies open their season on Thursday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. TJC meets Southwest Mississippi at 3:30 p.m. On Friday, Tyler is scheduled to meet Coahoma (Mississippi) at 11 a.m.