AUSTIN, Texas – Freshman
PABLO ZAVALA's first collegiate goal was critical, lifting St. Edward's men's soccer past the UT Tyler Patriots and into the Lone Star Conference Tournament semifinals with a 2-1 win.
St. Edward's opened with two shots in the first five minutes.
CHRISTIAN MEZAS missed wide right, and
MATTHEW DEVANEY put one on goal, stopped by UT Tyler keeper Luke Ryan. Niko Vasileiou and Oscar Sosa put shots on goal in the eighth and 21st minutes but couldn't get past the Hilltoppers' goalkeeper,
ANGEL RAMIREZ.
Salomao Saboia put UT Tyler on the scoreboard first in the 25th minute, following a feed from Omar Belahna. A Patriot played the ball into the box from the left sideline to the far right post, and Belahna got a head on it and put it at the foot of Saboia for the score.
St. Edward's responded with two quick shot attempts from
MASOOD PORSA and
HUNTER MERRITT but didn't break through until the 43rd minute when
JOMMAR REYES found Porsa to tie the game.
EMILIANO ABBOUD started the play by finding
VINCENT MORALES in the left corner, who crossed the ball into the box.
Ryan broke the initial pass up, but Reyes poked the ball back to Porsa, who rocketed a shot past Ryan with his left foot off one bounce.
St. Edward's continued to press its momentum in the second half, getting shots on goal from
IZAIAH GARZA and
TODD FULLER but not past Ryan until a penalty kick provided the game-winning goal.
EMILIANO ABBOUD received the ball from
IRVIN ABARCA near midfield, turned middle past two defenders, and found Reyes up the field, who sent the ball to Porsa down the right side.
Porsa found Abboud sprinting into the box, and a defender tackled him, earning the penalty kick. Zavala took the penalty kick and delivered the ball into the back of the net.
St. Edward's generated a 13-10 advantage in shots taken, though UT Tyler was more accurate, putting seven on goal to five. Ramirez was great in the net with six saves to preserve the win.
The Hilltoppers advance to the LSC Semifinals, where they will face Midwestern State in a rematch in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m.
