AUSTIN, Texas – In a crucial match against West Texas A&M, St. Edward's women's soccer team showcased one of its best passing performances of the season. The team scored two goals in the first half, paving the way for a 3-1 victory.
 
West Texas A&M put two early shots on goal in the first half, though neither was threatening to St. Edward's keeper DARIA SCHLUMBOHM. 
 
The Hilltoppers moved the ball expertly up and down the field, weaving passes in and out of the middle until the West Texas A&M defense twisted itself into a pretzel. TRISTYN CABELLO was the first to capitalize on the Hilltopper passing, scoring in the sixth minute off a feed from MARIE HANNEDOUCHE. 
 
Hannedouche received the ball on the right side just before the midfield line, quickly turned upfield, and immediately calculated the steps between Cabello, her defender, and the goalie. She delivered a perfectly weighted ball that reached Cabello off the bounce at the exact moment she overtook her defender, leaving her one-on-one with the keeper for the goal.
 
CARINA WUST kept the pressure on with a shot on goal in the ninth minute, then Cabello missed high in the 14th. The duo connected in the 15th minute for St. Edward's second goal. 
 
KATIE FITZPATRICK started the play, taking the ball in St. Edward's defensive third and clearing it with a high-arching ball over the top. A West Texas A&M defender got a head on the ball but sent it backward towards Cabello, who played the one-touch pass to Wust in the box for the score. 
 
St. Edward's finished with an 11-3 shot advantage in the first half, and West Texas A&M picked up a pair of yellow cards late. 
 
Cabello got another pair of shots early in the first half, putting one on goal and missing another wide before subbing out in the 65th minute. ABIGAIL HALL replaced her and immediately found the back of the net on Hannedouche's second assist of the game. Hannedouche received the ball on the right side, halfway between the circle and the box, nutmegged a defender, and played the ball into the box, where Hall beat the keeper to the pass for the score. 
 
West Texas A&M broke through in the 74th minute on a free kick near the midfield circle. Alexsis Villarreal triggered the play and sent the long pass into the box, where Avery Putnam sprinted right into the shot for the score. 
 
St. Edward's improves to 8-7-2 with a 6-5-1 conference record. On Thursday, the Hilltoppers will travel to Alpine, Texas, to play Sul Ross State to keep their postseason hopes alive.