BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Taking on the Western Washington University in Bellingham, the West Texas A&M University men's soccer team played the Vikings to a scoreless draw. The Buffs remain in search of their first win for the 2022 season as their record moves to 0-0-2.
Neither the Buffs nor the Vikings found an offensive footing in the first 45 minutes of play. WT tried to take advantage on one of their seven shots, three of those coming on goal, but couldn't find the back of the net. Goalkeeper
Alfonso Aragon and the Buffs back line held the Vikings to two shots total in the first half, neither of which came on goal. WT drew five corner kicks in the first half while Western Washington tallied one.
The Buffs controlled the ball coming out of the break until the Vikings started to fight back. While WT continued to try and find opportunities to score, the Western Washington defense held strong. The Vikings found a chance on the offensive side of the ball in the 54
th minute as Diego Alvarado ripped a shot from outside the box. Aragon made the dive to his right but confidently watched the ball roll out of bounds. A few minutes later,
Kenny Brown found an opportunity of his own as he found space inside the box. Brown escaped pressure from goalkeeper Patrick Restum but couldn't put the ball away from the sharp angle.
Western Washington continued to pressure the Buffs' defense as Andrew Rotter slipped his way into the WT backfield in the 75
th minute. Rotter beat Aragon inside the box, but a WT player cleared the ball off the goal line before it could cross, keeping the game scoreless. Throughout the second half, each team found chances to score but couldn't convert them into goals.
The Buffs ended with 14 shots, forcing six saves out of Restum while the Vikings finished with 12 total shots, three on goal.
WT looks to find their first victory of the season against Seattle Pacific on Saturday. Action between the Falcons and Buffs starts at 9 p.m. Central.
