It was a series of firsst for the UTPB women’s soccer head coach Carla Tejas Thursday against the University of the Southwest.
>> First game as an NCAA Division II coach.
>> First victory with the Falcons’ program.
>> First yellow card as the Falcons’ coach.
>> First red-card ejection.
That last one came after Tejas ran onto the field to celebrate UTPB’s final goal in a 4-0 shutout of the visiting Mustangs on Falcon Field.
Tejas, after getting the obiligatory bucket of water dumped on her head a midfield by her players, was all smiles after the game.
“First win, first red card,” she said. “We changed things around, put in a new culture and they showed it the way they played.
“I’m very happy with the way we played.”
The Falcons (1-0) were led by the return of centerback Kaylee Overmyer.
After missing the last 18 months because of shoulder surgery and spending a season as a volunteer assistant with the program, Overmyer never came off the field.
And, she scored the first three goals for the Falcons, two on penalty kicks and another on a header off a corner kick by Cassandra Ramirez.
Marian Valdes also scored for UTPB.
Overmyer didn’t know if she would make it back to the field. Her last appearance for UTPB was in the spring of 2021 when the season was delayed by COVID-19.
“I had to have another shoulder surgery after that season,” Overmyer said. “I took some time away to heal and was a volunteer assistant coach here and then came back to play; I missed it too much.
“It felt amazing to be back out there. These girls, they’re something special. These coaches, these girls give me the confidence come back out here after being out so long, the support and love in unreal.”
Overmyer got the scoring started in the sixth minute with the Falcons putting pressure on the Mustangs from the outset.
University of the Southwest was called for a handball inside the penalty area
Mustangs goalkeeper Andrea Martinez stopped the Falcons’ first attempt, but was whistled for leaving the goal line too early, giving UTPB a second chance.
Overmyer stepped up and didn’t miss, sending the ball to the upper right corner for a 1-0 lead.
She made it 2-0 in the 24th minute on a nice service by Ramirez from the left corner.
Ramirez’s feed curled in toward the net and Overmyer came racing in from the top of the box, leaped and headed the ball past Martinez for the brace.
Overmyer finished her hat trick in the 52nd minute, against finding the upper right corner for the 3-0 lead and hat trick.
Valdes capped the scoring when, after Martinez made a diving save of a Ramirez shot at the right post, the Mustangs couldn’t clear the ball.
Instead, it was kicked out front and Valdes calmly hammered it home as the Mustangs goalkeeper couldn’t get back into the net in time.
“She was out for a year and half and asked to come back on the team and we took a chance on her,” Tejas said of Overmyer. “Happy that we did. She’s one of the best center backs I’ve seen.”
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
