College soccer: Lady Falcons revert back to Hyde form

In the three games before Thursday, the UTPB women’s soccer team had played unlike its previous self, scoring more often and shutting down opposing offenses.

Yet in the season finale Thursday against Heartland Conference foe Dallas Baptist at Falcon Field, the Lady Falcons reverted back to what mostly caused them to fall toward the bottom of the conference standings this year.

It was their inability to finish, and it stuck them with a 1-0 loss, the end of a three-game winning streak and the careers of four seniors.

UTPB (6-12-1 overall, 3-8-1 conference) outshot the Lady Patriots 10-2 in the first half, ending with a 15-9 advantage and a familiar feeling: the Lady Falcons matched up well, but couldn’t quite get it done.

“They’re not a strong team at all,” UTPB senior forward Brandy Watts said. “We should have beat them, especially the way we’ve been playing lately.”

Dallas Baptist (8-10-1, 7-5-0) scored its lone goal in the 70th minute, after Lady Falcons senior Cheryl Walker was called for a hard foul and Allyson Bales scored on a free kick from 40 yards out. It hit the top crossbar and bounced on the back of goalkeeper Victoria Ramirez’s head.

“She couldn’t hit that one again if she tried,” Watts said.

Though UTPB outshot the Lady Patriots, Lady Falcons head coach Dennis Peterson said his team’s looks could have been better.

Three shots were on goal, and a shot from Watts just missed right in the 77th minute. Peterson gave credit to Dallas Baptist.

“They use an unorthodox defense,” Peterson said. “We didn’t ever get behind them.”

UTPB, which did not qualify for the postseason, has hope for next year, Peterson said. Sophomore Hannah Dozier, the team’s leading scorer, will return, as will Ramirez, whom Peterson said improved in the last four games. Sophomore Marianne Hubnik, one of the conference’s top scorers last year, should come back from an injury.

As for this year’s squad, “it took a while to click,” Walker said.