TYLER, TEXAS - The UT Tyler men's soccer team closed out its regular season in emphatic fashion Wednesday night, defeating UT Dallas 3–1 at Citizens First Bank–Perkins Soccer Complex.
The Patriots will take a huge swing of momentum into the postseason, riding a wave of four straight wins, with three of those featuring three goals for UT Tyler.
Freshman midfielder
Jason Verhoogen opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, finishing from close range to give UT Tyler an early advantage. The strike marked Verhoogen's third goal of the season and rewarded the Patriots for their early attacking energy as they outshot the Comets 11–2 in the opening half and kept constant pressure on the Comets goalkeeper.
UT Tyler continued to control possession after halftime, doubling its lead in the 59th minute when Noe Coutiño slotted home his team-leading fourth goal of the season off an assist from
Oscar Sosa. Sosa pushed forward to deliver a pinpoint setup that found Coutiño in stride for the 2–0 edge.
UT Dallas cut the deficit to one in the 72nd minute when Jordan Jones found the net on a feed from Julio De Los Reyes. But the Patriots quickly answered to erase any hopes of a Comets comeback. Just three minutes later,
Tony Ngombi scored his first collegiate goal on another assist from Sosa to restore the two-goal cushion at 3–1.
From there, UT Tyler's defense and goalkeeper
Niclas Becker held firm. Becker finished with three saves, including a diving stop late in the second half to preserve the victory. The Patriots finished with a 16–14 advantage in total shots and an 8–5 edge in shots on goal, while also earning four yellow cards in a physical matchup.
Jason Verhoogen, Noe Coutiño, and
Tony Ngombi would contribute the goals as
Oscar Sosa delivered a pair of assists. Becker would add another three saves as he continues to pile onto his strong tally for the year.
The win lifts UT Tyler to 7–7–3 overall and 4–4–2 in Lone Star Conference play, clinching a winning record at home and building momentum heading into the postseason.
UT Tyler now turns its attention to the Lone Star Conference Tournament, where it will look to extend its late-season surge and continue playing its best soccer when it matters most.
That postseason will begin with a matchup against DBU on Saturday. The Patriots will carry the #5 seed and face off with #4 seed DBU at a to be determined time in Dallas, Texas.
