Four Goals Off Four Feet Lifts Women's Soccer to Victory

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Four goals by four different players helped lift the St. Mary's University Women's Soccer team to a 4-1 victory at Oklahoma Christian on Saturday.
 
The Rattlers (7-3-5, 6-2-1 Lone Star Conference) busted onto the scoreboard early, netting the first goal 1:14 into the match. Sophomore Shelby Paniagua (Cibolo, Texas) took a corner kick, finding senior Jackie Miller (El Paso, Texas) deep in the box for a header into the top left corner of the net.
 
Less than seven minutes later, Miller took a long shot down the field to find sophomore Paola Then (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) on the sideline, who crossed into the box on the far side for senior Alexis Truitt (Boerne, Texas) and the second goal.
 
The Eagles (6-3-5, 2-3-4 Lone Star) scored on a penalty kick in the 36th minute by Brooklyn Fink for the 2-1 score.
 
A ridiculously athletic bicycle kick by sophomore Sydney Varela (El Paso) in the 60th minute gave the Rattlers back a two-goal cushion and in the 88th minute Paniagua put the exclamation point on the match with a line drive goal into the top right of the net from approximately five yards out of the box. 
 
The win propels the Rattlers into first place in the league standings, though Texas Woman's plays at West Texas A&M on Saturday evening.

The Rattlers remain on the road, playing at #25 DBU on Wednesday night. The Patriots play at Midwestern State later on Saturday.