VICTORIA, TEXAS (Oct. 31, 2024) – Nicolás Murgas of Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) scored the game-winning goal to give the Saints the 3-2 victory over the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV). The Saints improve to 5-11-1 overall and 4-7-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC), while the Jaguars drop to 7-6-2 overall and 5-6-1 in the conference.

Head Coach Shane Hurley's words echoed the team's unity, "I am proud of the men. We worked hard for 90 minutes. We left a couple of good opportunities on the table, but we finished with the three we needed to secure the 3-2 win."

History

The Saints are 9-8-3 against the Jaguars. Last year, the teams tied 1-1.

Game recap

OLLU put the first goal on the board on a kick-in from Tim Talabi with an assist from Alessandro Sierra in the seventh minute.

UHV answered eight minutes later to tie the score, and OLLU's Andres Rocha gave the Saints back the lead in the 17th minute. Adrian Maldonado had the assist.

The half ended after a blocked shot from Thiago Fernandes.

Despite the Jaguars tying the game just three minutes into the second half, the Saints showed remarkable resilience. The teams continued to battle from both sides of the field until the 74th minute when Nicolás Murgas scored the game-winning goal on an assist from Rocha, sealing their victory.

Andres Rocha, a key player for the Saints, led the team in shooting with three, adding one goal. Murgas, another standout player, had two shots, both on goal.

Net keeper Dominic Pena saved five for the Saints, while UHV's Eric Thust saved one.

The Saints had 11 shots, with four on goal. UHV tallied 15 shots, seven on goal.

What's next

The Saints welcome Huston-Tillotson University (HTU) on Saturday for the last regular-season home game. Before the start, OLLU will honor seniors Alejandro Avila, Carlos Alvarez, Sagesse Gutsa, Adrian Maldonado, Thomas Sauceda and Tim Talibi. These seniors have been instrumental in the team's success over the years, and their contributions will be celebrated at a special ceremony.