HOBBS, N.M. – The University of the Southwest men's soccer team opened postseason play in commanding fashion Sunday afternoon, defeating Our Lady of the Lake 2-0 in the first round of the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament at Bob Moran Field.
The Mustangs wasted little time taking control of the match, striking twice in the opening 25 minutes and leaning on a strong defensive effort to secure the postseason shutout. Yahir Meza put Southwest on the board in the ninth minute, finding the back of the net unassisted at the 8:46 mark to give the Mustangs an early 1-0 advantage.
Southwest doubled its lead midway through the first half when Dominic Rueda converted a scoring opportunity off a pass from Meza in the 25th minute. The goal proved to be the final tally of the afternoon as the Mustangs carried a 2-0 lead into halftime.
The Southwest attack generated consistent pressure throughout the match, outshooting OLLU 11-4 and holding a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal. Meza led the offensive effort with three shots, two on target, while adding a goal and an assist. Rueda also contributed a goal, and Yahir Chacon recorded two shots with one on frame.
Defensively, the Mustangs were equally impressive. Goalkeeper Jeremy Rueda recorded two saves to earn the clean sheet as Southwest limited the Saints to just two shots on goal across 90 minutes. The back line kept OLLU from finding any offensive rhythm and allowed only four total shots in the contest.
Southwest continued to create chances after the break, recording seven second-half shots, but the two first-half goals were more than enough as the Mustangs closed out the victory and punched their ticket to the next round of the conference tournament.
Assistant Coach Angel Marban
"Great team performance. Job's not finished yet. Now our full focus is on the next game against Texas A&M San Antonio."
With the win, Southwest advances in the RRAC Men's Soccer Tournament, carrying momentum from a complete team performance on both ends of the pitch.
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