AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward's men's soccer has found enough offense to keep collecting points down the stretch. Turning those points into victories will determine how much further the Hilltoppers' season extends.
Unbeaten in three matches, St. Edward's travels to UT Dallas on Wednesday before hosting DBU on Saturday at Lewis-Chen Family Field, bringing consecutive opportunities against teams immediately ahead of the Hilltoppers in the Lone Star Conference standings.
St. Edward's enters the week 3-6-4 overall and 2-3-2 in conference play, sitting seventh with eight points. UT Dallas and DBU each have 10, while sixth-place Lubbock Christian has nine. With three regular-season matches remaining and six teams qualifying for the conference tournament, the Hilltoppers have an opportunity to improve their position directly.
Since being shut out in consecutive losses to Midwestern State and Lubbock Christian, the Hilltoppers have scored in five consecutive matches. That stretch has produced two victories, two draws and a one-goal loss, keeping St. Edward's competitive as its attacking options have expanded.
BARTEK ZABEK leads the team with four goals, while
IZAIAH GARZA has contributed three goals and three assists.
ISAAC GUAJARDO has added three goals and an assist in seven appearances, scoring on three of his eight shots. Their complementary production gives St. Edward's several potential sources for the breakthrough against two opponents conceding fewer than a goal per match.
Saturday's 2-2 draw at UT Tyler illustrated both the Hilltoppers' persistence and the next step in their development. Garza provided a first-half lead, but St. Edward's needed Zabek's equalizer at 88:29 after allowing two second-half goals.
The Hilltoppers remained dangerous throughout, recording seven shots in each half. Zabek struck the crossbar immediately before Garza's opener and finished with five attempts. However, UT Tyler increased its shot production from eight before halftime to 11 afterward and earned 10 corner kicks. St. Edward's recovered a valuable point, but reducing that sustained defensive workload would improve its chances of protecting an advantage.
The Comets are 8-2-5 overall and 2-1-4 in league play. They have recorded scoreless draws against Oklahoma Christian, DBU and St. Mary's, tied West Texas A&M 1-1 and limited their only conference defeat to a 2-1 result against Midwestern State.
Their latest result, a 5-0 victory against Sul Ross State, accounts for five of their nine conference goals. Across their other six league matches, the Comets have scored four times and conceded four, underscoring how much Wednesday could turn on a small number of chances.
UT Dallas has allowed only 11 goals in 15 matches, recording seven shutouts while limiting opponents to 9.1 shots per match. St. Edward's ability to turn possession into a clean final attempt will be especially relevant: the Hilltoppers have put 34.6 percent of their season shots on target.
That places importance on the connections around Zabek, Garza, and Guajardo. Supporting the first attacking run with another passing option can help the Hilltoppers create an additional decision for the defense before shooting. Against an opponent that consistently keeps scores low, patience around the penalty area could be as valuable as the initial move into it.
At the other end, Avery Brazzell and Osi Iyamah lead UT Dallas with five goals and two assists apiece. Brazzell has put 14 of his 19 attempts on target, making the opportunities he receives particularly dangerous. Evan Pustejovsky supplies another source of pressure with a team-high 31 shots, while Jordan Jones leads the Comets with four assists.
The matchup therefore extends beyond containing the leading scorers. Tracking the supporting runner and limiting the pass that turns pressure into a clear attempt will be important against a team with 26 assists on 28 goals.
St. Edward's won last season's meeting 1-0 on Zabek's ninth-minute goal. UT Dallas took 10 second-half shots but finished with only three attempts on target, providing an example of the concentration required to protect a narrow lead against the Comets.
Saturday's opponent has recently found its separation much later.
DBU enters the week 6-3-5 overall and 2-1-4 in conference play after consecutive shutout victories against Sul Ross State and Lubbock Christian. All five goals in those two matches came after the 78th minute, turning lengthy scoreless contests into six conference points.
The Patriots' late breakthroughs followed substantial pressure rather than isolated chances. DBU outshot Sul Ross State 23-3 and earned nine corners before Landon deLeeuw opened the scoring at 79:40. Daniel Villagomez and Caden Berg followed with goals to complete the 3-0 victory.
Against Lubbock Christian, DBU generated 14 first-half shots without scoring, then remained patient before Chase Turcotte's winner at 78:55. The play-by-play recorded corners at 77:36 and 78:25, followed by a Caleb Centeno shot immediately before Turcotte's goal. Centeno added the second at 89:42.
For St. Edward's, that sequence makes securing the second ball a central matchup. Winning the first header or blocking the first attempt will need to lead to possession or a clearance that allows the defense to advance. Otherwise, DBU can reset its attack against a group still recovering from the previous action.
The Patriots also received five saves from Sean Mattivi against Lubbock Christian, including stops at 71:19 and 86:18. Their ability to protect the score while continuing to pursue a winner means the Hilltoppers will need to make their own attacking moments count throughout the match.
St. Edward's holds a 13-1-2 advantage in the series and is unbeaten in nine home meetings with DBU. The teams drew 2-2 in Dallas last season after the Hilltoppers won 2-0 in Austin in 2024.
The recent unbeaten stretch has kept St. Edward's within reach. This week asks the Hilltoppers to combine their improving attacking production with the sustained defensive control needed to turn close matches into wins—and a stronger position before the regular-season finale at West Texas A&M.
