ENMU plays to scoreless draw

PORTALES - One thing about playing defense - if you do it well, you're rarely out of any contest.

Still, you have to score to win, and the Eastern New Mexico University women's soccer team couldn't do that on Saturday, playing Texas A&M International to a scoreless tie in Lone Star Conference action at Greyhound Stadium.

"We had our chances, but we couldn't capitalize on them," first-year ENMU women's coach Eric Belcher said. "We struggle at times on offense, but what can you do?"

To their credit, the Greyhounds (4-7-1, 2-4-1 LSC) have made the most of their five goals this season, winning three times 1-0 and once by a 2-0 count before Saturday's draw. Still, while they have a winning road record, ENMU remained winless at home (0-4-1).

Meantime, the Dustdevils (3-5-5, 0-3-5) are in somewhat similar circumstances. After beginning the season 3-0 and outscoring those opponents 7-2, International is on a 10-match winless streak - including three consecutive ties - in which it has tallied only four goals.

"Defensively, we did all we could do," ENMU sophomore defender Kinsie Mitchell said. "It's just that we struggle to get the ball in the back of the net."

International had most of what few scoring opportunities there were. ENMU junior Samantha Jeffries made seven saves in goal, including a couple of tricky ones down the stretch.

"We've definitely played better, definitely played worse," Mitchell said of the match. "It's good to know you can always get better."

Belcher said he didn't think the Hounds played all that badly.

"I think we were OK on the ball," he said. "We just couldn't finish."

ENMU's best chance may have come with about eight minutes left when freshman forward Abby Ditzler broke down the right side, only to have her shot stopped by Dustdevils keeper Fabiana Solano.

Still hoping to scratch their way into the six-team LSC tournament next month, ENMU (currently tied for eighth in the 13-team league) has five matches left in the regular campaign, beginning with a 5 p.m. start today against Texas-Permian Basin at Greyhound Stadium.

Hounds sweep Angelo State - At San Angelo, Texas, the ENMU volleyball team survived a tight first set and went on to pummel Angelo State 26-24, 25-16, 25-14, the Greyhounds' first road sweep of the Rambelles since 1996.

Angelo had set point in Game 1, but ENMU (12-10, 3-7 LSC) scored three consecutive points to claim a 1-0 lead. Then the Hounds rolled to a 15-2 advantage in the second set to close in on the match win.

In Game 3, the Rambelles (10-10, 6-2) scored the first two points, but ENMU tallied the next six and gradually stretched its advantage.

Senior middle blocker Gracelyn Stubbs notched 11 kills and four block assists for the Hounds, while freshman setter Kayla Ison posted 20 assists and junior outside hitter/libero Getsemani Carrasco finished with 12 digs.

The victory was ENMU's first in San Angelo since 2005, and snapped a six-match overall losing streak to the Rambelles. It was only the Hounds' third victory in the series over the last 28 meetings.

DBU posts first win over ENMU - At Dallas, senior midfielder Ethan Unger scored a pair of goals on Saturday and the Patriots scored their first men's soccer win over the Greyhounds in nine all-time meetings.

ENMU had outscored the Patriots 19-5 in the previous eight tilts, beginning with the first win in the history of the program on Aug. 28, 2004.

DBU (3-4-4, 2-1-0 LSC) was on the attack from the get-go against ENMU freshman goalkeeper Paul Waschkau, with Unger scoring in the 18th minute.

Sophomore forward Peyton Voelker made it 2-0, converting a penalty kick about seven minutes into the second stanza. It was his sixth goal, giving him a share of the conference lead in that category with West Texas A&M's Kenny Brown.

Unger then put the contest completely out of reach with his second tally of the day in the 77th minute.

The Hounds are back in action today, hosting Lubbock Christian at 7:30 p.m. in the back end of a soccer twin bill with the women.

Pascoa finishes third in MSU meet - Sophomore Marta Pascoa placed third in the women's five-kilometer race, leading ENMU's effort on Saturday in Midwestern State's Mustang Open cross country meet at Wichita Falls, Texas.

Pascoa, from Setubal, Portugal, posted personal-best 5K time of 18 minutes, 43 seconds. Freshman Ethan Woodrome led the ENMU men with an 8K time of 29:23.7 for 64th place.

With only four women and three men entered in the competition, the Greyhounds did not have team scores. Western New Mexico was the men's team champion with 21 points, while host MSU took the women's crown with 31.

WNMU had both individual winners, with Elias Perez running 25:03.07 for the men and Gracey Lovato finishing in 18:33.5 for the women.

On Saturday, ENMU hosts the Greyhound Invite at Hillcrest Park in Clovis. The men's race is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. start, with the women to follow at 9:15 a.m.