Women's Soccer Club Wins Conference Championship
UHD's Women's Soccer Club team earns a berth to the first-ever Houston Club Sports Conference (HCSC) championship game for women's soccer.
The UHD team won its final two games of the regular season beginning with a 2-1 win on Oct. 13 over previously undefeated Lone Star College-North Harris. On Oct. 14, UHD came away with a 6-2 win over Houston Community College to earn their spot in the championship game, and a rematch with Lone Star College-North Harris on Oct. 21.
The defending HCSC champions and No.1 seed Lone Star College-North Harris scored quickly in the championship game to go up 1-0 in the 20th minute of the first half. However, UHD responded and tied the game at 1-1 in the 35th minute after a goal by freshman Marily Perez. North Harris regrouped and took a 2-1 lead at halftime. UHD’s Rashel Chavira and Raven Robertson both scored goals in the second half to give UHD a 3-2 lead, and the advantage heading down the stretch with their first conference championship title in sight. With two minutes remaining in the game, North Harris tied the game at 3-3 and forced the championship game to come down to penalty kicks. Under immense pressure, the UHD goalkeeper Tania Maldonado came to the rescue and blocked the first penalty kick to give UHD the early advantage. After exchanging the next four penalty kicks, Maldonado came away with the full extension block to give UHD the 4-2 victory and the club’s first-ever conference title in the Houston Club Sports Conference.
Along with a conference title, the club team also earned a berth to the 2018 NIRSA Super Regional tournament on Nov. 2–4 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tournament action kicks off on Friday, Nov. 2 with an opening game at 8 p.m. versus Washington University in St. Louis.
The Gators will play two games at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 3 versus Baylor University, and at 4 p.m. versus Creighton University (Omaha, Nebraska). If UHD advances from pool play, they will have the opportunity to play Sunday, Nov. 4 for a berth to the NIRSA National Soccer Championships on Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 in Foley, Alabama.
All games will be held at the Mohawk Sports Complex in Tulsa.
The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.
U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.
