JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Sep. 21, 2025) - Ruby Teixeira put the 2025 Buccaneers in the history books.
The redshirt junior scored in the final quarter of an hour to get ETSU over the top against UNCG, 1-0, at Summers-Taylor Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The win is ETSU sixth in a row, tying the second-longest streak in school history, and their seventh game in a row without a loss, which ties a program record.
The Spartans (2-8-0) had their best chance of the afternoon in the fourth minute when Bailey Gourdine got on the end of some quality passing from the Spartans down the left side and got a boot to the ball on the edge of the six-yard box, but Buccaneers (7-2-2) goalkeeper Addison Yelton made a point-blank save minutes into her return to goalkeeping duties after missing Thursday's game at The Citadel.
In the 26th minute, Ava Duffey set forward duo Jada Cooper and Reagan Fitzgerald to work with an incisive pass, and a give-and-go between the two strikers saw Fitzgerald curl a shot from the left side just above the crossbar. The Bucs outshot the Spartans 7-3 in the first half but were unable to break through, and the teams went without a goal between them into the intermission.
The second half featured overwhelming possession for the Bucs in the UNCG end of the field, but the Spartans held firm in defense to keep quality chances sparse. In the 74th minute, Hannah Dawson created width and threaded a pass back to Duffey, who found Taryn Childers in space, but the freshman sent her shot over the bar from 15 yards.
Moments after Childers just missed putting the Bucs in front, they finally found what they were looking for.
A free kick taken short by Kassie Estep let Caroline Wawak size up a cross from the right wing which found Teixeira wide open on the opposite side. She chipped the ball over a lunging Malone to put ETSU ahead with her second goal of the season and sixth of her career. The assists mark the first collegiate points for both Wawak and Estep.
UNCG sought an equalizer and got a good chance on a free kick by Rina Ogimoto that flew through to Yelton from well outside the box, but the goalkeeper was alert and snagged the ball out of the air running to her left. Yelton foiled another long Ogimoto free kick taken in the 85th with a diving catch out near the penalty spot, denying the Spartans a chance at the second ball, securing her fifth shutout this season.
ETSU outshot UNCG 13-5 in total with the Bucs winning shots on goal 4-3. The win marked the program's sixth in a row, tying for the second-longest winning streak in school history and bested only by the seven-game run from September 23-October 14, 2011, when ETSU won the Atlantic Sun regular season title. The 2025 Buccaneers are unbeaten in seven straight games, which ties that 2011 run for the longest unbeaten streak in program history.
They will look to tie the school record with their seventh consecutive win on Friday at Mercer. Kickoff is set for 6:00pm in Macon.
For more information on ETSU women's soccer, go to ETSUBucs.com.
