TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler men's soccer can clinch the program's first appearance in a Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament on Tuesday night at 1^st Citizen's Bank-Perkins Soccer Complex with a win over DBU.
 
The Patriots will recognize a pair of seniors in Glenn Siako and Ramiro Alvarez prior to the 7 p.m. kick in a match that will decide the squad's fate in a current three-way tie for fourth place in the Lone Star Conference men's soccer standings. Only the top four teams will advance to the 2021 Spring Lone Star Conference Men's Soccer Championship Tournament hosted in Canyon, Texas by no. 1 seed West Texas A&M beginning on Saturday afternoon.
 
THE MISSION IS SIMPLE: WIN
 
UT Tyler, UT Permian Basin and Texas A&M International all occupy the fourth-place spot in the current Lone Star Conference standings entering tomorrow night's final regular season slate of games across the league. All three teams have navigated the abbreviated spring schedule with a record of 3-3-1 in Lone Star Conference play to earn 10 points, and will now each face must-win situations in their three respective matches tomorrow night.
 
The Patriots currently hold the first two tie-breaking advantage scenarios over both UT Permian Basin and Texas A&M International if all three teams were to win. The Patriots defeated Texas A&M International 1-0 in the team's last outing on Mar. 23 to hold the head-to-head record advantage over the Dustdevils, and currently hold a three-goal advantage in the overall conference goal differential category over UT Permian Basin as the two squads battled to a 1-1 draw back on Feb. 27 in their meeting.
 
As long as UT Permian Basin does not make up that goal differential in a win tomorrow night in their match against Lubbock Christian, a Patriot win no matter the results of the other two matches would lock the Patriots into a playoff spot. A loss or a tie in tomorrow's match would present a host of tie breaking scenarios, bringing in a chance that the Patriots would be left out of the final four seeds.  
 
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
 
The UT Tyler defense has been the definition of bend, but don't break, over the course of the last two wins over Texas A&M International and #16 St. Mary's to give the Patriots a chance at a postseason berth on Wednesday night. UT Tyler has faced 29 shot attempts in those two 1-0 wins, none of which have found the back of the Patriot net.
 
Keeper Mathias Eriksen has played as well as any keeper in the Lone Star Conference over the last two matches, totaling 12 saves in his 180:00 minutes in goal, and has been a key piece to a defensive effort for the Patriots that has proven extremely difficult to figure out for opposing teams. The defensive back line of UT Tyler has been as good as any in the league as well, and will need to continue to stay strong to get the winning results the Patriots need tomorrow evening.
 
SCOUTING DBU
 
DBU and UT Tyler have met twice historically with DBU getting the better over UT Tyler in the two sides last meeting on Nov. 2, 2019 by a 4-1 margin on UT Tyler's home pitch. UT Tyler won the first meeting between the two program's by a 2-1 margin in overtime on Sep. 28, 2019.
 
DBU has compiled a record of 2-5-1 this season, and are 2-4-0 in Lone Star Conference play. The Patriots hold wins over Lubbock Christian and Oklahoma Christian, but have been outscored 19-to-8 in their seven LSC matches this spring.
 
They conceded three second-half goals to St. Mary's in their last outing on Friday night to fall by a 4-0 margin.