AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward's women's soccer has spent much of October finding ways to extend its season. After erasing a two-goal deficit at Lubbock Christian, the Hilltoppers have one regular-season match left to turn that late push into a postseason berth.
St. Edward's travels to Sul Ross State on Tuesday, Oct. 27, for a 2 p.m. match at Lobo Soccer Field in Alpine. The Hilltoppers enter 5-8-4 overall and 5-5-3 in Lone Star Conference play, sitting ninth with 18 points, one behind UT Dallas and Lubbock Christian for the final two tournament positions.
A victory would bring St. Edward's to 21 points and secure a top-eight finish if any one of three teams fails to win: Lubbock Christian at St. Mary's, UT Dallas at UT Tyler, or West Texas A&M against Oklahoma Christian. The Hilltoppers would pass LCU or UTD with a win and a draw or loss by either team. A WT draw would leave both teams with 21 points, with St. Edward's holding the head-to-head advantage through September's 2-0 victory.
The Hilltoppers earned that opportunity by collecting four wins and a draw in their past six matches. Four consecutive shutouts established the foundation, but Saturday's 3-2 comeback at Lubbock Christian required a different response after St. Edward's surrendered two goals in the opening 12 minutes.
RILEY SISSON scored twice, including the deciding penalty kick, while MACY JENNINGS assisted the first two goals. PEYTON MEDINA made six saves in 74:51 of scoreless relief, keeping the Hilltoppers within reach before protecting their second-half advantage.
The comeback also continued SIERRA PADILLA's productive stretch. Padilla has scored in three consecutive matches, following her winner against Texas A&M International, and has scored against No. 1 DBU and Lubbock Christian. She and Sisson share the team lead with four goals apiece. Padilla has scored her four goals on just 12 shots, making her an efficient finisher for a team averaging one goal per match.
Jennings' work on the right side has given those finishers another avenue to goal. Against LCU, she supplied a cross for Sisson's opening goal and a far-post delivery for Padilla's equalizer. Her ability to receive in space and deliver into the box has become an increasingly valuable part of the Hilltoppers' attack.
Tuesday's assignment will require patience against a Sul Ross team whose home results offer more resistance than its overall record suggests. The Lobos are 2-11-3 overall and 2-9-2 in conference play, but have earned both victories in Alpine, defeating St. Mary's 3-2 and UT Permian Basin 1-0. They also held Lubbock Christian and West Texas A&M to scoreless draws at home.
Sul Ross' latest home victory demonstrated the importance of defending restarts. Averi Culver's long free kick reached Chase Bauer, who connected with Melissa Chow for the only goal against UTPB. Kat Graves made five saves as the Lobos protected the lead despite facing 14 shots and seven corner kicks.
Gabby Trevino and Kiersten Rowland lead Sul Ross with three goals each, accounting for six of the team's nine goals. The Lobos average 8.9 shots while allowing 22 per match, suggesting opportunities for St. Edward's to sustain pressure. Turning that pressure into accurate attempts will matter: the Hilltoppers have put 35.8 percent of their shots on target this season.
Graves has helped Sul Ross withstand that workload, recording 105 saves and an .808 save percentage. For St. Edward's, moving the defense before the final delivery and following initial attempts with pressure on second balls could be essential to breaking through.
The Hilltoppers' recent run has paired defensive control with timely finishing and, most recently, the ability to recover when a match turns against them. Tuesday offers one final chance to bring those pieces together and keep their postseason pursuit alive.
