The UT Tyler soccer squads celebrated Senior Day with a sweep of rival LeTourneau on Saturday at Citizens 1st Bank-Perkins Soccer Complex.
In the women’s game, the Patriots defeated the Yellow Jackets 7-1. After the game, seniors Shelby McDonough, Cristina Mendoza, Kathryn Haag, Macy Hurley and April Goodman were honored.
In the second game, the Patriot men downed the Yellow Jackets 4-1. Before the game, UT Tyler honored 10 seniors — Taylor Nelson-Cook, Lance Quini, Sergio Gardea, Alex Sanchez, Enoch Shipman, Alan Arroyo, James Winkler, Alfonso Rocha, Erick De Santiago and Elijah Shipman.
Women
UT Tyler (11-5, 6-4) wasted no time taking advantage of LeTourneau (1-18, 0-10) with five goals in the first 26 minutes of play.
Mendoza scored in the eighth minute, followed by a goal by Nikki Gordon in the 11th minute.
Chestley Strother scored two goals in the first half, the first in the 13th minute and the second in the 18th minute. Sandwiched in between was a goal by April Goodman in the 16th minute.
LeTourneau’s Raylene Gould scored in the 26th minute, the first goal in conference play for the Yellow Jackets, making the score 5-1 at the end of the first half.
In the second half, Jordan Johnson scored in the 68th minute followed by an 89th-minute goal by McDonough, making the score 7-1.
The Patriots will compete in the American Southwest Conference Tournament beginning Thursday in Abilene.
Men
LeTourneau (5-13-1, 3-7) got on the board first on a Hunter Hembrough unassisted goal.
UT Tyler (10-2-4, 6-2-1) answered back in the 38th minute on an Alonso Rivera goal off a corner kick by Enoch Shipman, knotting the game at 1-1.
The Patriots took control in the second half, scoring three more goals.
Douglas Leighton scored in the 72nd minute for a 3-1 lead, followed by a 75th-minute penalty kick conversion by David Lopez-Molinar.
Just two minutes later, Molinar beat the goalie again for the 4-1 final.
The Patriots will head to the ASC Championship tournament which will take place in Abilene beginning Thursday.