Courtesy of the HBCU Athletic Conference Communications Office

SHREVEPORT, La. – Huston-Tillotson University's women's soccer team will make their first appearance at the NAIA Women's Soccer Tournament next week after winning the postseason HBCU Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 7.
 
The Rams (9-4-4) needed penalty kicks in both the semifinal round Thursday and Saturday's title match to punch their ticket to the NAIA's premier women's soccer event. HT and Wiley were knotted at 2-2 after two overtime periods in Saturday's championship contest before the Rams prevailed 5-4 on penalty kicks.
 
HT advanced to the championship match thanks to a 5-4 advantage in penalty kicks after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer against Talladega (Ala.) in Thursday's semifinal round. Talladega defeated HT in the 2025 HBCU Athletic Conference tournament championship match.
 
In both contests, Mariyah McCrae, Neydelyn Bonilla, Sallie Buhr, Kennytzia De La Torre-Arias, and Sara de Jesus Lira converted their penalty kicks in that order for the Rams to advance.
 
Wiley (9-4-5) broke the scoreless tie in the 32nd minute. Kenadee Haddad sent a ball downfield to Mariah Williams who sprinted to the goal and put it in for her seventh of the season. The lead held up until the 74th minute when De La Torre-Arias tied the match off a pass from Kamryan McMath. A foul by Wiley which led to a red card, set up Emili Taclibon, who gave the Rams the lead in the 76th minute.
 
Playing down a player, Nadia Hernandez sent a ball in the offensive end, which J'Eleisha Alexander retrieved and kicked it by Huston-Tillotson's goalkeeper Juliet Morales-Martinez, who was playing out of the net, for her third of the tournament and ninth of the season, tying the match in the 86th minute.
 
Huston-Tillotson (9-4-4) had a chance to win it early in overtime when Mariyah McCrae's shot hit the crossbar and stayed in play. Hernandez put a shot on goal for the Lady Wildcats that was stopped by Martinez in the 96th minute. The Rams put three shots on goal in the second overtime, which were stopped by Wiley goalkeeper Destiny Allison.
 
De La Torre-Arias was named to the tournament's Most Valuable Player. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammates by Bonilla, Buhr, Morales-Martinez, and defender Kiara Leitón Amador.
 
Morales-Martinez stopped four of six shots. The Rams will find out their first and second round opponents and destination at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13. The team will hold a watch party at the Agard-Lovinggard auditorium on the HT campus.

– HT –
 
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