Photo courtesy of UMHB Athletics
BELTON — In its ASC opener under the lights on Saturday evening, UMHB men’s soccer accomplished a feat it hadn’t reached since four seasons before: winning five consecutive games.
The Cru, now 7-1-2 overall, rolled past Howard Payne in a 6-0 shutout to keep the streak alive, which began with a 3-0 win at Austin College on Sept. 13. Since that shutout in Sherman, UMHB has beaten Concordia (TX), Rhodes, and McMurry, before dominating a winless HPU squad on Saturday.
In this recent five-game span, Ben Allen’s squad has outscored its opposition by an impressive 18-4, having found the back of the net at least three times in every match, while also posting a pair of clean sheets on the defensive end. UMHB’s .778 win-loss-tie percentage ranks fifth amongst all teams in Region X.
The last time UMHB put together a string of victories of this length in 2022, it began with the second match in ASC play, and lasted seven straight games, culminating with a 3-0 shutout of Hardin-Simmons in the penultimate game of the regular season slate. The Cru went on to win the ASC Tournament and host Pacific Lutheran in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
That season was also the last time, prior to Saturday’s win, that UMHB scored six goals in a single match. The Crusaders did so twice in 2022, defeating McMurry, 6-1, and LeTourneau, 6-0. The LETU shutout came in the ASC Tournament final, and sent UMHB to the national tournament for the first time in four seasons.
Saturday’s high-scoring shutout saw six different Crusaders send a shot past HPU goalkeeper Adrian Villa. UMHB, who leads the ASC in first-half goals, seized the lead in the second minute on Karsen Macias’ goal off an assist from Martin Valdes. Billy Younce then extended the advantage just before halftime, scoring his second goal of the year in the 44th minute.
But The Cru’s offensive attack was just getting started. Alex Bethke recorded his team-leading fourth goal on a penalty kick just eight minutes into the second half, and Evan Ruiz widened the lead to 4-0 six minutes later. Isaiah Pullen and Caple Esquivel each tallied their first goals of the season late in the second half, giving UMHB its dominant six-goal victory.
The Crusaders recorded 32 shots against HPU, with 19 on goal. That mark—much like the win streak and six goals scored—also carries historical significance, as it was the first match in six seasons with 30-plus shots taken by UMHB. The last time The Cru did so was Oct. 19, 2019, when they took 32 in an 8-0 win at Louisiana College.
Undefeated at home with a 4-0 record in Belton this season, UMHB’s next chance to add to that win total comes on Oct. 11, when The Cru hosts Hardin-Simmons. Before that, though, they head to former ASC foe Belhaven (4-2-3) on Oct. 2 and face ETBU (5-5) in Marshall, Texas on Oct. 4. Next Saturday’s duel at ETBU will feature the two highest-scoring offensive attacks in the ASC, with the Tigers averaging 2.8 goals/match and UMHB averaging 2.6 goals/match.
