| Match Info |
Opponent Info |
#16 Oklahoma Christian vs. UT Tyler
OC: 7-2-2, 1-1 LSC | UTT: 5-2-2, 0-1-1 LSC
Wednesday, Oct. 5 | 7:00 p.m.
Eagle Soccer Field, Oklahoma City, Okla. |
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ROSTER |
SCHEDULE |
STATS |
LAST TIME OUT
The Patriots welcomed West Texas A&M on Wednesday night for their first home conference game of the season. The Buffs would score two first half goals and that provided just enough insurance to survive a furious comeback from the Patriots in the second half.
Sergio Sola got back into the scoring column after a beautiful pair of passes from
Michael Myers and
Todd Fuller set him up with a golden opportunity right in the middle of the box and Sola was able to head it home.
AROUND THE LONE STAR CONFERENCE
Following a wild opening night last Saturday, the Lone Star Conference kept up the chaos as only one team stands at 2-0 over the first two games. Eastern New Mexico gave #8 Midwestern State their second consecutive loss in a big upset, and Lubbock Christian took down #16 Oklahoma Christian to hand them their first setback of the conference slate.
St. Mary's stands alone at 2-0, and UT Permian Basin, West Texas A&M, and Lubbock Christian are at 1-0-1 through two games. Oklahoma Christian, Eastern New Mexico and DBU are all 1-1. UT Tyler is the lone team at 0-1-1, and Midwestern State and Texas A&M International are 0-2.
LUCKY NUMBER 16?
UT Tyler took down RV Rogers State earlier this season in their non-conference schedule to give the Patriots their first win over an opponent associated with the national poll since beating #16 St. Mary's in the spring of 2021 on March 30. The matchup against #16 Oklahoma Christian will be the Patriots latest chance to knock off an opponent ranked inside the top 25 as they look to repeat their success against Rogers State from earlier this season.
SERIES HISTORY
UT Tyler has never dropped a game to Oklahoma Christian over the four matches played previously. The Patriots hold a 3-0-1 record all-time and won the most recent meeting. During that previous match played on October 16, 2021, it was a late goal from
Xjavier Martinez off of an assist from
Malte Andres that helped the Patriots prevail by a 1-0 score.
Of note, three of the four previous matches have been played in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, so this will be familiar territory for UT Tyler as they try to knock off the Eagles.
SCOUTING OUT THE EAGLES
It's no secret that the Eagles are off to a strong start, and it has been an incredible turnaround over just the past year. In the 2021 season, Oklahoma Christian had a rough year, going 1-11-3, but they have turned it around into a 7-2-2 season so far in 2022. Their seven victories are already more than any season since their eight win mark in 2015, and they are looking to finish above .500 for the first time since 2011.
Leading that brilliant turnaround effort has been head coach Mitchell Sowerby. Sowerby was named the head coach prior to the 2021 season and has engineered one of the best turnarounds in NCAA Division II. Previous to working with the Eagles, Sowerby lead Mid-America Christian to a 35-7-4 mark over two seasons and earning the NCCAA title in 2019.
The Eagles are led on offense by freshman forward Daniel Gutierrez. Guttierrez got off to an incredible start, scoring two goals in each of the first three games. He is now up to seven, and that ranks as the most in the Lone Star Conference in 2022.
NEXT ON THE SLATE
The competition will only get tougher for UT Tyler after the contest against the Eagles. On Wednesday, UT Tyler will host #8 Midwestern State on their home turf as the Patriots look to make a big statement not just in the conference but on a national scale.
Next Saturday will see the Patriots head back out on the road to take on Lubbock Christian. Through two games, the Chaps are 1-0-1 with a tie against West Texas A&M and a 1-0 win over Oklahoma Christian.
