Crusader's Season Ends with Defeat by Trinity in SCAC Semifinal

November 3, 2023

HOUSTON, Texas - The University of Dallas women's soccer team faced the #1 seed Trinity University in Semifinal 1 of the SCAC Conference Championship on Friday.  The Tigers emerged victorious, ending the Crusaders' season with a 2-0 defeat.

It was an energetic start to the game, as both teams came ready to play.  The Crusaders felt they had something to prove after falling to the Tigers 2-0 earlier in the season, and having improved greatly from a goal scoring standpoint in the final month of the conference schedule.  Despite their efforts, the Trinity defense proved nearly impenetrable, and the Tigers went on to open the scoring in the 26th minute after a flurry of shots in the opening minutes.

Though the Crusaders responded well, the Tigers formed a wall with their defense and didn't allow a single shot in the first half.

The Crusaders came out firing in the second half, looking to deal an early blow, but Alyssa Mencacci's effort in the first 30 seconds sailed over the crossbar.  Instead, the Tigers doubled their lead less than five minutes later, making it a 2-0 game with just under 40 minutes to play.

Dallas pushed desperately for a goal in the dying minutes, but scoring opportunities were few and far between.  They earned a corner in the 82nd minute, but couldn't make anything of it.  Avery Seaman tested the keeper for the first and final time of the game in the 86th minute, forcing a comfortable save out of Lauryn Lewis in goal.  That would be the final attack UD could muster, as Trinity saw out the 2-0 win to advance to Sunday's championship game.

The Crusaders end the year with a 6-10-1 overall record and seven All-SCAC selections.

For more information on UD women's soccer, follow the team on Instagram and Twitter, and stay up to date here at udallasathletics.com.