TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler men's soccer moved to 2-0-1 with a 1-0 victory over Colorado Christian on Saturday afternoon on their home pitch.
 
Noe Coutiño picked up his first goal for the Patriots that ultimately proved to be the game winner in a tightly fought contest at Citizens 1^st Bank-Perkins Soccer Complex.
 
UT Tyler would open up action with a flurry of shots as they recorded four over the opening 15 minutes of play. Coutiño and Niko Vasileiou each put one on target, but the Cougars keeper was able to hold his ground.
 
The Patriots added another flurry of action in the 29^th minute as Jaxson Stovall and Oscar Sosa added shots, but both would end up being blocked as the Patriots continued to knock on the door.
 
While the offense continued their pressure, the defense played a gem of a first half as they allowed just one shot. That lone shot came at the 44:12 mark of the first half, and goalkeeper Niclas Becker was able to calmly hold onto it and make the save.  
 
The Cougars would finally get things rolling on offense over the opening minutes of the second half, recording three shots, but none of which went on target.
 
Less than a minute after that final shot, the Cougars would have a thrown in deep in their own end. They played backwards towards their keeper, but he would mishit the clearance and chip it into the air. Noe Coutiño was in the immediate area, and he calmly tapped it down to his left foot and scored in the wide open net to make it 1-0.
 
The Cougars would put up a valiant effort to try and equalize as one shot looped around Becker but found the woodwork and went out of play. Just under two minutes later, Becker dove to his right and made a key save as he preserved the shutout.
 
That would be the final shot on target in the game for the Cougars, as the Patriots defense shut down their attack and played brilliantly to hold onto the key win.
 
Becker earned his second shutout of his Patriots career while Coutiño scored his first goal in a Patriots uniform in the win.
 
UT Tyler will be back in action next week as they hit the road for the first time. They take on #20 Rogers State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and then face off with Harding on Saturday at 1 p.m.