DENTON, Texas (Nov. 10, 2025) – Despite the cold weather at Pioneer Soccer Park, Texas Woman's soccer stayed hot, advancing to the next round in the quest for the Lone Star Conference Championship with a 1-0 victory over St. Mary's.
The third-seeded Pioneers (14-2-3, 9-2-3) had previously defeated the sixth-seeded Rattlers (9-6-3, 8-4-2) 3-0 on Sept. 24, but St. Mary's came out with intensity early, eager to make the rematch count. Both teams generated several scoring opportunities, including three corners apiece. Despite TWU out shooting STMU 13-9, regulation ended in a scoreless tie.
With the postseason overtime rules in effect, the match would continue until a winner emerged. That didn't take long. Just three minutes into the first overtime, Alyssa Striker sent a shot into the upper-left corner for her fourth goal of the season, securing the golden goal that sent the Pioneers into the next round.
IMPACT PLAYERS
KEY MOMENTS
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6': A pair of corners to begin the game allowed the Rattlers to bring intensity early on, but Faith Graves remained a wall for the Pioneers in net, turning away both opportunities en route to four saves, and a fourth clean sheet in a row.
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65': After being hauled down while attacking, Giselle Gutierrez is awarded a penalty shot, but misses. Gutierrez remains one goal away from tying the school record for most goals in a season, set by Haley Ward in 2018 with 11.
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94': The match's golden goal was scored early in the overtime period, as Alyssa Striker netted her fourth of the season with a shot from outside the box finding its way in the upper left corner of the net assisted by freshman midfielder Jaida Arizmendi.
FROM HEAD COACH BABAK ABOUZAR
"Survive and advance. That's what it's about this time of the season," Abouzar said. "We didn't play our best in the first half but came out and executed much better in the second. Credit to St. Mary's for making things difficult. Even though we bent, we didn't break. Our team defense was really good. Great job to Striker for having the soccer IQ to hit that ball the first time. We're looking forward to the LSC semifinals!"
NEXT UP
The Pioneers advance to face Midwestern State in the LSC Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in Dallas. TWU and the Mustangs previously met on Sept. 27, playing to a 2-2 tie.
A fan bus will be available for any TWU students, faculty or staff interested in attending the semifinal game at Dallas Baptist. The bus holds 24, so it is first come first serve on sign-ups. Additionally, TWU students can request a free ticket to the semifinal game without riding the fan bus. If the Pioneers advance to Sunday's championship, this option will be available as well.
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