INSTITUTE – West Virginia Wesleyan’s women’s soccer team showed plenty of fight Wednesday night at Lakin-Ray Field at Dickerson Stadium but could not keep pace with MEC South Division leader West Virginia State, falling 6–3 in Mountain East Conference play.
The match opened with a flurry of offense as the Yellow Jackets struck early in the third minute through Sara París Fílter, who would go on to record four goals on the night. West Virginia State extended the lead to 2–0 in the 21st minute when Aika Tobaru buried a shot to the bottom corner. Laura Pouedras made it 3–0 in the 29th minute off assists from Tobaru and Leila Karam.
Wesleyan responded, closing the half strong. Paloma Zamora converted in the 36th minute to put the Bobcats on the board, and Ava Badallo added another just before halftime in the 43rd minute to make it 3–2 at the break.
The comeback continued just six minutes into the second half when a Wesleyan team goal in the 51st minute—generated from a dangerous corner sequence—tied the match at 3–3. The Lady Bobcats’ high pressure forced WVSU’s back line into mistakes, shifting momentum temporarily toward the visitors.
Wesleyan’s rally, however, was short-lived. París Fílter restored the lead in the 61st minute off a cross from Ece Lea Evin, assisted as well by Pouedras. The striker added two more goals in the final two minutes (88th and 90th) to seal the 6–3 result for the hosts.
Despite the scoreline, goalkeeper Maite Coutinho made seven saves while facing 24 shots, keeping Wesleyan close for much of the contest. The Bobcats managed two shots on target—all resulting in first-half goals—and earned two corners compared to seven for the Yellow Jackets.
With the post-season on the line, the Lady Bobcats return home to host Concord University on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. Wesleyan and Glenville State remain tied for the fourth spot in the MEC South. Fourth or better gets you into the conference tournament.
