TYLER, TEXAS – The Patriots are ready to take on the Rattlers on the back of a thrilling victory over DBU to secure their spot in the 2021 LSC Men's Soccer Championships.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
 
UT Tyler needed a win or a draw to secure their spot in the postseason, and the program completed a legendary comeback to gain three points and earn the fifth seed in the LSC tournament this week.
 
The Patriots will take on the fourth seeded Rattlers on Tuesday night in San Antonio, Texas. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the winner of that contest will take on the number one seeded Midwestern State on Friday night at 7:30 in Wichita Falls, Texas.
 
SERIES HISTORY
 
The Rattlers and Patriots have faced off twice this season, most recently last Wednesday night here in Tyler. In that game the Patriots battled off the rain and wind in chilly conditions to take a key 3-0 victory in the conference race.
 
On Sept. 22 of this season, the two teams squared off in a non-conference matchup in San Antonio that saw the Rattlers take home a 1-0 victory.
 
The Rattlers hold the series advantage at 3-2. The Patriots have taken two of the last three contests, and are 1-2 in games played in San Antonio.
 
THE SCOUTING REPORT
 
On the season, St. Mary's is outscoring their opponents 32-23 and averaging 1.78 goals per game. They average 16.4 shots per game and their shots on goal percentage sits at 38.5%. The Rattlers are led in goals and points by senior Alonso Rodriguez. He has 7 goals and 15 points so far this season.
 
St. Mary's is coached by Johnny Clifford. Clifford has a career record of 41-17-6 and has led the Rattlers to a 12-6 overall record this season. Most recently, Clifford led the Rattlers to the 2019 regular season championship and a sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament.
 
AROUND THE LONE STAR CONFERENCE
 
The Lone Star Conference finished up their regular season this past Saturday. Midwestern State claimed the regular season crown by finishing with 21 points and a 7-1 record. West Texas A&M finished with 18 points and a 6-2 record.
 
The postseason field will feature those two teams plus Lubbock Christian, St. Mary's, UT Tyler, and UT Permian Basin. Midwestern State and West Texas A&M will receive a bye into the semifinals, where they will await the winners of the St. Mary's vs. UT Tyler matchup and the Lubbock Christian vs. UT Permian Basin matchup.
 
KICKING THE OFFENSE UP A NOTCH
 
The Patriots have launched their offense into a gear they have not seen this season. Last week's matches against St. Mary's and DBU saw the Patriots record six goals, the most in any two game stretch in 2021. 
 
Fueling the run of offense is a flurry of first time goal scorers. In the Saturday contest against DBU, all three goals were scored by players who hadn't yet scored this season in Bryan Rivas-Guzman, Shane Popieluch and Thierry Assamoi. The goals scored by Rivas-Guzman and Assamoi were the first of their respective careers as Patriots as well.