JONESBORO, Ark.- The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi soccer team could not get into the win column in their first game of the 2025 season on Thursday evening, conceding late and falling on the road to Arkansas State in a tight back-and-forth affair by a final of 2-1.
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Despite heading into the break tied at 0-0, the action in the first half of Thursday's game was hot from the very beginning, starting with a couple of early chances for the Islanders (0-1). After a foul from the Red Wolves (1-0) just three minutes into the match, a free kick off the foot of junior
Katie Porter was deflected by Arkansas State keeper Damaris Deschaine right out to senior
Morgan Westbury, who fired at the net after a couple of dribbles but had her shot deflected out of bounds for a corner kick that did not in result any scoring.
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A couple of other opportunities for the Islanders would come along as the opening period rolled along, with the visitors controlling the pace of play through much of the early goings. The first of these came from Porter at the 12-minute mark, with the transfer from Marshall taking a try from distance that just narrowly sailed over the crossbar. An even better chance came at 25 minutes when a throw-in by freshman
Sille Bach Vesterholm found the head of senior
Mai-Lisa Atis, but Deschaine was able to reach up and tip the shot up over the bar to keep the game scoreless, where it would stay for the remainder of the half.
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The chances from the first half proved to be a precursor of things to come, as the floodgates finally opened for both sides once the final 45 minutes got underway. First up was Arkansas State, with the home team breaking the tie five minutes out of the break by putting a shot past redshirt senior
Hayven Harrison after the Islanders' keeper was caught on the ground following a nice punch save on a cross from the left side. A&M-Corpus Christi took a while to respond to this score but finally broke through in the 79th minute, finding the back of the net when sophomore
Vivianna Sykes corralled a throw-in from freshman
Sophia Dias and unleashed a beautiful one-timer into the top left corner for the equalizer and the team's first goal of the 2025 campaign.
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Unfortunately for the Islanders, though, this score would not hold, as the Red Wolves would come back on the other end with the game-winning goal just four minutes later. The score was originally ruled offsides on the field, but after a more than four-minute review, the call was overturned, giving Arkansas State the lead and sending A&M-Corpus Christi to its first defeat of 2025.
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"We showed great resilience today," head coach
Daniel Clitnovici said following the game. "To come and play a Sun Belt team and dominate for much of the game is really positive. We know that outcomes don't always reflect the performance, and we will need to grow from this loss, but I know as a coach that we still have room to grow, and we are excited about that."
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The Islanders were led individually by Sykes, who tied for the most shots on the team en route to the first goal of her career in her debut in the blue and green after coming on as a transfer from Georgia State. Assisting on Sykes' score was Dias, who got on the score sheet in her first game at the collegiate level, and joining Sykes with shots on target were Atis, junior
Emmie Barton and redshirt senior
Madison Page.
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A&M-Corpus Christi will now try to regroup in its next game on Sunday, returning back to the Dr. Jack Dugan Soccer and Track Stadium for the home opener against another first-time opponent in New Mexico. Kickoff for that contest is scheduled to take place at 12 p.m. CT.
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"Arkansas State was a good opponent, and we know it was going to be a tough road game, but I'm extremely impressed with our team attitude and the way we stuck with the game plan," Clitnovici said. "On another day, we walk away from this game with a win."
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