While San Francisco is seeing warmer weather due to change in season, the city’s temperatures came nowhere near the heat the women’s soccer team faced on their two-game Texas road trip. The Dons first travelled to Dallas to play the nationally-ranked No. 24 Southern Methodist University (SMU) Mustangs Sept. 16.
The Mustangs carried the advantage in this first-ever match up due to a free kick around midfield within the first 20 minutes of the game courtesy of sophomore Jasmine Vilgrain, which put SMU on the board first. The Dons brought the tempo up in the second half, where they had ten shot attempts in comparison to their lone attempt at scoring in the first half. Despite the work put in by the Dons, the Mustangs came out victorious by a score of 0-1, with their five saves leaving the scoreline stagnant throughout the remainder of the match.
Three days after acquainting themselves with SMU, the Dons made their way out of Dallas and into Betty Lou Mays Field in Waco, Texas to test their fate Sept. 19 against the Baylor University Bears.
Despite six attempted shots from the Bears in the first half, the opposition was unable to break through the Dons’ defense. USF took the lead when sophomore Jamesen Ward assisted a clean shot by senior Sydney Cooper. Within the first four minutes of the second half, the Bears connected with the back of the net and tied the game at one goal each.
With a high game-time temperature of almost 100 degrees, the tied game came to a close due to a heat advisory. Regardless, the 1-1 score will count towards both team’s overall win-loss records since they fell within the 70 minute time mark.
The Dons return home to Negoesco Stadium Sept. 25 to face the Santa Clara University Broncos.
