RICHARDSON, Texas — St. Edward's men's soccer recovered from an early UT Dallas goal to generate several chances at an equalizer, but the Comets pulled away after halftime to hand the Hilltoppers a 3-0 loss Wednesday night at the UTD Soccer Complex.
BARTEK ZABEK and SHUNJI WATANABE combined for nine of St. Edward's 13 shots, while goalkeeper KALEO PEREZ-FRANCIS recorded six saves. UT Dallas forward Avery Brazzell scored all three Comet goals, opening the scoring in the first minute before adding a second-half finish and a late penalty kick.
St. Edward's dropped to 3-7-4 overall and 2-4-2 in Lone Star Conference play. UT Dallas improved to 9-2-5 and 3-1-4 in conference competition.
The Comets struck just 49 seconds into the match. Perez-Francis stopped Callum Thompson's initial attempt, but Brazzell followed with the finish to give UT Dallas an immediate lead.
Perez-Francis helped keep the deficit at one through the Comets' early pressure, making five saves over the opening 18 minutes. The Hilltoppers also tested UT Dallas goalkeeper Ryder Claborn, with TIMMY HOLLENBECK putting an attempt on frame in the fifth minute and Zabek forcing another save in the 17th.
St. Edward's generated more sustained opportunities as the half progressed. Watanabe forced saves in the 34th and 37th minutes, and the latter attempt began a sequence that included a blocked Zabek shot, a Hilltopper corner kick, and another Watanabe attempt wide of the right post.
Zabek added a shot wide in the 42nd minute as St. Edward's entered halftime trailing 1-0, nearly matching the Comets in shots, 9-8.
The Hilltoppers continued seeking an equalizer after the break. Zabek sent an attempt high in the 48th minute, and St. Edward's earned consecutive corner kicks in the 51st.
UT Dallas extended its lead at 58:02, with Brazzell scoring off an assist from Osi Iyamah. JUAN SEGURA tested Claborn five minutes later, but the Comet goalkeeper preserved the two-goal advantage.
Perez-Francis added his sixth save in the 72nd minute, stopping Julio De Los Reyes. Brazzell completed his hat trick with a penalty kick in the 86th.
St. Edward's continued creating opportunities through the closing minutes, earning three late corner kicks and having attempts from HOLDEN RABB and Watanabe blocked.
Zabek finished with five shots, and Watanabe added four, including two on goal. UT Dallas held a 16-13 advantage in shots and a 9-5 edge in shots on goal. Both teams earned six corner kicks, while Claborn finished with five saves.
