Islanders Off to Historic Start with UTSA Win

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's extended break between competitions bore fruit this Friday, as the Islanders used a set of early goals to claim their second win of the season. The Blue and Green's 2-1 win against visiting UTSA not only gives the side a 2-1-1 advantage in the all-time series against the Roadrunners, but pushes the Islanders to their best four-match start in program history.

Corpus Christi jumped on UTSA early, with forward Kayla Gove registering the match's first shot of the night in the second minute. Less than 10 minutes later the Islanders would pick up their quickest goal of the season on a Mariah Ramon corner that found the head of Kaitlyn Joy just above the goal line. The home side continued to hold possession through the early stages of the contest and would find their second tally of the night, again off a corner kick. A high looping ball from Ramon fooled the Roadrunners' goalkeeper, which allowed redshirt-senior Brooke Erdmann to score off the deflection.

Erdmann's goal is the seventh of her career and pushes her into second in Islanders history. The Deer Park native's tally proved to be the decider on the night, and the second game-winner of her career, as Corpus Christi held the visiting side to a single goal in the second half for win number two of the Craig Shaw era. 

The Roadrunners had allowed 5.2 corners per match entering Friday's match, and held to that average with five surrendered to the Islanders. With two of their eight shots coming off corners, 28 percent of the Blue and Green's attempts on net have come directly off set pieces in the 2017 season. 

Jordan Wainwright earned her first start of the year in place of injured keeper Abbie Flax. After an amazing save late in the first half, it was clear the senior had not missed a beat from the previous year, ending the competition with four saves and a single goal against. 

• Three of the Islanders four goals have come off set pieces this season
• The side is now 4-1-1 when scoring two goals over the past two seasons
• The Blue and Green's seven shots in the first are the most they have registered in a single half this season. They finish one shy of their season-high with eight
• The Islanders are now 2-0 in 2017 when steering more than four shots toward frame
• Erdmann and Joy's tallies are their first of the year and the first goals not scored by a freshman this season
• With two assists on the night, Mariah Ramon holds a team best four points on the year. She is five away from moving into second for the most points tallied by an Islander freshman in a single season
• Corpus Christi's first win in program history came against UTSA in 2013. Friday is the side's second victory against the Roadrunners all-time

The Blue and Green meet up with UTRGV for the second time this season this coming Sunday for the second leg of the South Texas Showdown, presented by NavyArmy Community Credit Union. The side dropped a decision to the Vaqueros not two weeks ago in a double-overtime thriller that ended in a 1-0 final. Corpus Christi is looking for back-to-back victories for the first time since October of last year. 

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