By Alan Wiederhold
HT Athletic Communications
SHREVEPORT, La. – Huston-Tillotson University women's soccer coach
Oriol Gimeno was named the HBCU Athletic Conference's 2025 Coach of the Year while four of his players were named to the league's All-Conference team, the conference announced Tuesday.
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Freshman goalkeeper
Citlaly Vences was joined by three of her senior teammates on the All-HBCU Athletic Conference team. Seniors
Kayla Evans,
Alicia Gonzales, and
Lincy Villatoro were also named to the team.
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In his first year as head coach after serving as an assistant for HT, Gimeno has led the Rams to their best season since 2021, which also marked the last time the Ram women advanced to a postseason conference tournament. Gimeno led the team to a 6-6-1 record and the HBCUAC's West Division title.
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Evans, who transferred to HT last season after playing at NCAA Division I Mississippi Valley State, led the Rams in scoring with seven goals and 15 points. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Evans tallied two multi-goal games and scored in three of the team's four HBCUAC matches.
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A defender from Kearns, Utah,
Alicia Gonzales anchored HT's back line throughout the season. She was the only HT player to start all 13 regular-season matches for the Rams and also led the team with 1,072 minutes played.
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Villatoro, a graduate student from Los Angeles, made her return to collegiate soccer this season after a seven-year absence when she transferred to HT; she last played at NCAA Division II Texas A&M International. Villatoro led the Rams with six assists during the season.
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A freshman from Baytown, Vences led the Rams in saves and compiled a 1-3-1 record in goal. Her shutout was a nail-biting draw at home against Concordia Texas.
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After winning the division and claiming a first-round bye, the Rams will play their first match of the HBCU Athletic Conference tournament Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Lee Hedges Stadium in Shreveport. The match will be broadcast on the Urban Edge Network.
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– HT –Â
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