DALLAS – For nearly 100 minutes, UT Tyler and DBU were all but equal, but Ramiro Alvarez finished off a three-shot flurry in front of the DBU net to lift the Patriots to a 2-1 overtime win Saturday night in Dallas.
 
Shane Popieluch started the danger with a strike from 2% yards out, which was saved by DBU goalkeeper Tristen Olvera.  The rebound went to the feet of Steven Chavez in the left side of the box, and his left-footed shot to the far post from 8 yards away was slowed again with another Olvera save. However, Alvarez beat Olvera to the loose ball in front of the net and tapped it in the right side fort the game-winner.
 
Although DBU is a Lone Star Conference opponent, Saturday's contest was a non-conference matchup as the teams meet again in LSC play on Nov. 2. With the win, UT Tyler wraps up non-conference play with a 5-1 record, while DBU falls to 2-5.
 
How It Happened: Abraham Garcia put DBU up midway through the first half, scoring on a rebound in front of the net in the 29^th minute, but UT Tyler answered with the tying goal in the final minute of the half when Darío Rossell took advantage of a DBU giveaway near midfield to spark a quick counterattack. Rossell sent the ball forward into the box, where Sergio Sola won a footrace against Olvera to the edge of the box to touch the ball past the charging goalkeeper to the far post. That score held up throughout the entire second half, despite plentiful quality scoring chances throughout the contest.
 
In the first half, Travis Collins sent a ball into the box into the right side, where Steven Chavez placed a header inside the far post which was punched away with one hand by DBU goalkeeper Tristen Olvera for a UTT corner kick.
 
In the second half, DBU produced three outstanding chances in a span of less than 10 minutes. In the 74^th minute, Brandon Torres had a chance about 15 yards out, but his shot to the near post was right at Parker O'Quinn for an easy save. Four minutes later, in the 78^th minute, Ethan Martinez fired from long range beyond 30 yards out, and O'Quinn dove to his right to tip the strike away from danger for a DBU corner kick.
 
The 80^th minute featured one of the best chances of the match, when Josue Vazquez broke free behind the UT Tyler back four into the right side of the box.  O'Quinn left the net to force the ball away from Vazquez, who centered it to Abraham Garcia about 14 yards out in front of the net. Garcia's touch sailed well above the crossbar over the empty net, keeping the game tied at 1-1 with 10 minutes left in regulation.
 
By The Numbers: The teams posted an identical 12 shots through the end of regulation… Sergio Sola has scored in consecutive games, and the Ramiro Alvarez game-winner was his first score of the season… Alvarez is now the 12^th different UT Tyler player to put the ball in the back of the net… Abraham Garcia's first-half goal snapped UT Tyler's scoreless-minute streak at 427 minutes.
 
What's Next: The next time UT Tyler takes the field, it will be at home to open up Lone Star Conference play, and the Patriots' first Lone Star contests present a unique challenge as a pair of NCAA Division II Top-10 foes visit Citizens 1^st Bank-Perkins Soccer Complex. Up first is No. 4-ranked West Texas A&M on Thursday, Oct. 3, followed by a Saturday, Oct. 5 clash with No. 9-ranked Eastern New Mexico.