Photo by Russell Marwitz/True To The Cru/russellmarwitz.com
BELTON-Two weeks into conference play, UMHB men’s soccer is still undefeated against ASC opponents. The Crusaders overwhelmed Ozarks on Thursday night behind a strong second-half showing, taking down the Eagles in a 4-1 victory that moved UMHB’s record to a flawless 4-0 in conference action.
It took only 16 minutes for UMHB to establish its lead on this particular October evening, as Xjavier Martinez furthered solidified himself as the Crusaders’ leading scorer, finding the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. That is how it stayed until the half, with UMHB tallying 13 shots to Ozarks’ three in the first 45 minutes.
But The Cru followed that by scoring three times over the next 16 minutes coming out of the intermission. Mason Munoz scored his fourth goal of the season, with Mason Crites and Sawyer Young on the assist. Then Karsen Macias did the rest, scoring twice the span of 62 seconds. Alex Bethke was credited with the assist on the first goal, in the 60th minute, and Munoz set up Macias’ second goal in the 61st minute.
Ozarks’ Bailey Sawyer erased the shutout with a goal himself seven minutes later, but that was the extent of the Eagles’ scoring.
Match Notes
- Thursday’s match marked the final regular season meeting between the two programs as conference rivals, as Ozarks prepares for a move to the SCAC next year. UMHB is now 10-11-2 all-time against the Eagles.
- The victory is UMHB’s third straight over Ozarks, which is the longest win streak The Cru has had since the two began playing in 1998. Twice, UMHB won back-to-back meetings, but this is the first time the Crusaders have won three in a row.
- UMHB has now scored exactly four goals in three of its first four ASC matches, having also beaten ETBU and LeTourneau by scores of 4-0.
- Karsen Macias scored twice in the win, marking the first multi-goal performance of the sophomore’s collegiate career. Macias now has three goals this season.
- Hayden Owens earned the start at goalkeeper for The Cru, and tied his season-high in saves, with four. It marked his second straight four-save match, as he also did so in last Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sul Ross State.
Up Next
UMHB hosts UT-Dallas on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in Belton. UTD is 6-4-2 overall with a 2-1 mark in ASC play.