HOBBS N.M.-- The University of the Southwest men's soccer team collected two draws and suffered a narrow road defeat during a busy three-match stretch, showing resilience against a challenging slate of opponents.

Monday: Southwest 1, Science & Arts 1

Southwest opened the week with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Science & Arts on Aug. 31 in Chickasha.

After a scoreless first half, Science & Arts broke through in the 56th minute when Callum Scott finished a scoring opportunity off assists from Maxim Vukovic and Josh Burton. 

The Mustangs responded just over 11 minutes later. Yahir Chacon delivered a pass into the attacking third, and Yahir Meza found the back of the net in the 67th minute for his first goal of the season to even the score at 1-1.

Southwest goalkeeper Jeremy Rueda played a key role in preserving the draw, making eight saves as the Drovers outshot Southwest 17-11. Meza led the Southwest attack with three shots, including two on goal.

Wednesday: Mid-America Christian 1, Southwest 0

Southwest traveled to Oklahoma City on Sept. 2 and nearly earned a scoreless result before Mid-America Christian found the winner late in the second half.

The Evangels generated pressure throughout the match, holding a 14-12 edge in shots, but Rueda kept Southwest in the game with seven saves. 

Southwest's best scoring opportunities came from Adrian Campbell, who recorded four shots, including the team's lone shot on goal.

The match remained deadlocked until the 85th minute when Filliph Kamfjord converted a scoring chance off a setup from Matias Garcia, giving Mid-America Christian a 1-0 advantage that held through the final whistle. 

Friday: Southwest 1, Oklahoma City 1

Southwest closed the week with another gritty road draw, battling Oklahoma City to a 1-1 result on Friday.

Oklahoma City struck first in the 35th minute on a penalty kick from Francisco Miquel to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.

The Mustangs wasted little time answering after the break. Just 2:49 into the second half, Ian Mackliff found Meza, who finished the equalizer to tie the match at 1-1. It was Meza's second goal of the week. 

Southwest received strong performances in goal from both Jeremy Rueda and Stephen Chairez. Rueda made three saves in the opening half before Chairez added three more after halftime as the Mustangs held off several late Oklahoma City chances.

Meza recorded a team-high two shots on goal, while Stefano Carvajal added three total shots as Southwest earned a point on the road.

Up Next

Southwest concludes the week with a 1-1-2 overall record after earning draws against Science & Arts and Oklahoma City while narrowly falling to Mid-America Christian.

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