Box Score
LAREDO, Texas – DANIEL RILEY scored the only goal for the Hilltoppers as they tied the Dustdevils, 1-1 on Saturday evening. St. Edward's hopes for a second-straight Heartland Conference Championship remains alive with a victory over rival St. Mary's in the final match of conference play.
The Hilltoppers started fast with an ANDERSON MCDANIEL shot just three minutes into the game. Jesus Cisneros saved the opportunity. McDaniel had another opportunity several minutes later, but again Cisneros saved his attempt. McDaniel had a third chance to score in the first half, but Cisneros was in place for the save. McDaniel took all three of the Hilltoppers' shot attempts in the first half.
The Dustdevils generated a cornerkick opportunity that resulted in the first goal of the match during the 60th minute. Jovany Macias redirected his pass to Ryan Hodgson for the goal. TAMU-International led 1-0.
St. Edward's went on the attack midway through the period with shots by NATE COONS, MATT MCLAUGHLIN, KYLE RUCK, and RYAN DENDINGER, but neither of the shots found the back of the net. It wasn't until DANIEL RILEY scored his 14th goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Riley connected on a header off a free kick from NATE COONS.
Two minutes later, goalkeeper JOHN KASCHAK was hit with a red card and was ejected from the game. KEVIN LEIB replaced Kaschak in the net. HAIDEN STILES, and DANIEL RILEY had shots in the final minute, but both sailed wide.
Coons registered the only shot during the first overtime period, but it went above the goal. St. Edward's had one legitimate chance during the second overtime period. HAIDEN STILES took the cornerkick, but a shot didn't come from the opportunity. The game concluded in a 1-1 tie.
Head Coach Brian Young was pleased with the effort of his players, "I was very proud of the effort the guys gave over 110 minutes. To come from behind and after getting a player sent off, the guys dug down deep and got us a result to keep us alive for the Heartland Conference Championship and the NCAA Tournament."
The Hilltoppers will be back in action on Monday, for a conference matchup against archrival St. Mary's. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. on the campus of St. Mary's. Live video and stats will be available through the Rattler Athletic website.
