Jaguars Honor Faculty With Win In RRAC Opener
San Antonio, TX- On the same day that the Jaguar women's soccer team honored faculty members by naming honorary coaches, the Jaguars opened conference play with a resounding 5-2 win over Jarvis Christian College.
It did not take the Jaguars long at all to get on the board with a quick one-two punch that saw Jasmin Dominguez send a ball through to Ana Barragan for a statement goal at the 4:06 mark. Barragan was not done yet, though, not done at all. Just minutes later she struck again with a goal (Skylar Parker assist) at the 9:31 mark. With the second goal in the book, it's likely everyone had the idea of a hat-trick in mind, and Barragan did not let the suspense linger for too long as she put her third goal (Samara Lopez assist) through at the 13:27 mark. The Bulldogs would not put together any sort of an answer to the Jaguars until the 31:07 mark when the Bulldogs were able to put one over the head of the Jaguar's keeper. Skylar Parker would then round out the first half scoring for the Jaguars with a beautifully placed free kick at the 36:24 mark.
Barragan's first half hat-trick marked the fourth occasion in her storied career at A&M-San Antonio in which she scored three or more goals in a match, and this hat-trick was a school record for pace having scored all three goals in just 13:27.
The second half started similarly to the first in that the Jaguars immediately put pressure on the Bulldogs. At the 53:01 mark, Avry Scott put a side post rebound into the back of the net giving the Jaguars a 5-1 lead. With a comfortable lead in hand, Head Coach Tim Moody began to rotate quite a few players off the bench giving valuable playing experience to largely a younger group of players. The level of play did not drop off much, though, as the Jaguars were able to maintain putting pressure upfront even having several opportunities to extend the lead. That said, the Bulldogs were able to get one more in the net with a final goal at the 81:18 mark. The Jaguars would end up winning the match 5-2, giving them a 1-0 record in conference play.
The faculty members honored as honorary coaches for the match were Dr. Michael Boucher (Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction), Dr. Pablo Calafiore (Associate Professor of College of Business), and Dr. Karen Burgard (Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction).
After the match, Coach Moody said, "First of all, I want to thank not just Dr. Boucher, Dr. Calafiore, and Dr. Burgard, but all the wonderful faculty members at A&M-San Antonio. One of the better selling points of A&M-San Antonio is the quality of academic programs and the faculty members and instructors that drive those programs. Regarding the match, the team showed quality in attack today, creating and finishing chances with composure. Several of our goals were the product of excellent build-up play and smart decision-making in the final third, highlighting the talent and creativity within the group. While the scoreline was positive, we know there is still room for improvement. We conceded two disappointing goals that came from lapses in concentration—something we'll need to tighten up as the season progresses."