Pineville, LA – The University of the Southwest Men's Soccer team (3-6-4, 2-3-4 RRAC) was hosted by Louisiana Christian University (LCU) (7-2-5, 4-0-4 RRAC) this weekend for their final road game of the season. LCU came into the matchup as a team near the top of the RRAC standings and receiving votes in the national rankings. 
 
The Mustangs wasted no time getting on the board in this one as Graduate Student Gerardo Tenorio found Freshman Amari Everage in the first minute of the game, putting the Mustangs up 1-0. 
 
The defense for the Mustangs played tight in the first half as Graduate Student goalkeeper Aaron Servin was able to make six saves to keep the Wildcats off the board early. Offensively, the Mustangs challenged LCU's keeper a couple more times but were unable to bag a second goal, ending the first half 1-0. 
 
"We started off great; we dominated the first half, and we're in a good situation," said Coach Edgar Negrete. "Before the game, I talked to the guys and said, 'Gentlemen, if you want to make the playoffs, we have to be ready to come out and play.' It was good for the first 45 minutes." 
 
As the second half began, the momentum shifted to the side of Louisiana Christian soon after the whistle blew. They were able to bag their first goal of the game in the 53^rd minute from Shakeem Walters off an assist from Jorge Duran Granados, making it a 1-1 game. 
 
Less than three minutes later, the Wildcats once again found the back of the net. Adrian Amoros Navarro assisted Alvaro Tudanca for the 2-1 lead in favor of Louisiana Christian. 
 
The Mustangs looked to tighten up their defense and give themselves chances to get the game back to even, but LCU continued the offensive pressure as the match continued. Navarro got his goal in the 74^th minute from an assist by Lucas Lima. Now the Wildcats were sitting more comfortably with that bit of insurance.
 
Louisiana Christian would add another one in the 90^th minute via an Alvaro Tudanca to Christian Blaze Restivo connection, making the final for the match 4-1. 
 
"In the second half, Louisiana college came out and scored a goal to tie the game," stated Coach Negrete. We got shaken up in some areas, and they got the second one. We had a clear chance 2 yards in front of the goal, and we could not put the ball away. This game was a must-win, so I had to do some things tactically to help us win the game. LCU got a third goal, and that's when I decided to go with a more offensive formation that exposed us a lot in the midfield and the back line. It was a coaching decision because we couldn't afford the loss or the tie. Unfortunately, LCU stayed disciplined and punished us with a late one. It was heartbreaking because this made our opportunity for playoffs very thin. I know that this year, we had many distractions that kept us from being a competitive team in the conference. I'm not afraid to say that we don't belong in the position that we are in. However, this year we are in the places we are in due to distractions throughout the year."
 
"We have two games left in the season. If we want to make the playoffs, we need to take care of the game against an undefeated Shreveport, who's on top of the table, and Texarkana, who's looking for a playoff spot. We also have to depend on our faith in other teams to lose and win both games this week. All I can say is I'm hopeful, and all I can do is worry about what we do here and pray things go our way, and hopefully, we get to make the playoffs this year. We hope to see a lot of support at home this week because we will need it. It would be much appreciated if we could fill those bleachers with fans, family, friends, and faculty. It's really a point where it's all or nothing."
 
USW Men's Soccer will wrap up its regular season by hosting LSU Shreveport on October 27^th and Texas A&M-Texarkana on October 29^th. Continue to follow USW Athletics and USW Men's Soccer on all social media for scores and updates throughout the season.