Bobcats knock out Appalachian State for senior night win

With the Bobcats on a two game losing streak, Texas State was in need of a big bounce back moment in order to stay ahead in the Sun Belt Conference standings.

Not only that, the Texas State soccer team wanted to send their five seniors a win on their final night at the Bobcat Soccer Complex.

Fittingly enough, it was one of the five seniors that was able to accomplish both goals at once.

With the game tied up at 0-0, senior forward Kiara Gonzales headed in the tie breaking goal off the assist from Juana Plata as the Bobcats knocked off the Mountaineers in a thrilling 1-0 on senior night.

With the win, the Bobcats clinched the No. 5 seed in the Sun Belt tournament where Texas State will play James Madison in the quarterfinals.

For head soccer coach Steve Holeman, the win was important as it not only sent the five seniors of the team one final win at home but also helped Texas State clinch a spot in the quarterfinals.

“I thought we played incredibly well tonight and this was certainly one of our best performances of the year,” Holeman said.  “Of course, it came down to a little bit of drama. We were still 0-0 and had a lot of opportunities. What a server by Juana to Kiara finishing off a header. We will take the 1-0 win because it helps us avoid the play-in game on Monday.”

Though the team was on a two-game losing streak and facing a possible third, the Bobcats were not worried about that but rather playing for their seniors on their final night.

“It wasn’t tough to get motivated,” Holeman said. “We put the past behind us and learn from it. We take it one game at a time just as we have all year. We were not thinking how we could lose three in a row but rather the team was playing for the seniors. They brought tons of energy on the field as well as intensity.”

Texas State earned a 1-0 win over Appalachian State on Thursday to secure the No. 5 seed in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. Above, the Bobcats recognized their five seniors prior to Thursday’s game: Kiara Gonzales, Bailey Peschel, Lindsey Salisbury, Avery Thies and Kamaria Williams. Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo

One of the keys in the first half was the Bobcats ability to control the possession to not only keep App State from scoring but also allow Texas State to shoot as many times as possible.

“It was our composure on the ball,” Holeman said. “We were locking them in defensively on the field. They had some dangerous players who can score that we handled pretty well. When we won the ball we were able to keep the ball which is important.”

Texas State was able to take advantage of owning the time of possession with less than 14 minutes left in the game as Juana Plata hit the cross to Kiara Gonzales who then headed the ball past the goalkeeper to give the Bobcats the lead.

“I knew for a minute that [the pass] was about to come,” Gonzales said. “There was a feeling as I was getting up there but I just wasn’t getting the touch of the ball. As soon as I got the ball to the assist, I was always taught to recycle your runs. When I saw the ball coming in perfectly, I knew it was mine.”

Following the goal, the Mountaineers fought furiously to tie the game up.

“That is the nature of the game,” Holeman said. “You are up 1-0 and it’s getting late. They are pushing the numbers up and putting the balls into our half of the field. We handled that well and our best defense was the ability to keep the ball.”

Holding out, the Bobcat defense held firm as Texas State captured both the win and the three points.

Tournament play for Texas State starts Wednesday Nov. 6 at Foley, Alabama with kickoff at 6:30 p.m. from the Foley Sports Tourism Complex.