Live VideoLive StatsEDINBURG, Texas – The HBU men's soccer team closes the regular season at UT Rio Grande Valley Sunday at 2 p.m. from the UTRGV Soccer and Track and Field Complex.
With every team in the WAC minus the Huskies and Vaqueros playing Saturday, HBU has a better understanding what it needs to do to reach the Western Athletic Conference Tournament for the second time in the last three seasons: either a win or tie with UTRGV and the Huskies are in. Entering Saturday's games, HBU shared fifth place with Air Force, San Jose State, and UNLV, as the top six teams reach the tournament. HBU owns the tiebreaker over AFA and SJSU, but UNLV owns the tiebreaker over HBU. Air Force lost Saturday, which all but eliminates the Falcons from playoff contention, and SJSU tied, which keeps the Spartans tied with the Huskies. UNLV defeated Grand Canyon, 4-0, to put the Rebels in a tie for third, as HBU and SJSU are tied for the sixth and final playoff spot entering Sunday.
Sunday marks the first meeting between HBU and UTRGV since a 9-5 win over UT-Pan American on Sept. 29, 1990. UTRGV is the merging of UTPA and UT-Brownsville.
HBU (8-8-1 overall, 4-4-1 WAC) won a crucial match the last time out, as the Huskies rallied to defeat San Jose State, 2-1 in overtime, on Nov. 1.
Sebastian Henke and
Dominick Faletto scored in the match. On the season,
Marcelo Acuna leads the Huskies in goals (10), points (24), shots (48), shots on goal (22), and game-winning goals (4). Acuna is second in the WAC in both points and game winners, and fourth in both points per game (1.41) and goals.
George Kelley is second on the team in goals (6), and points (14), while Acuna, Faletto, and Marc-Anthone are tied for the team lead in assists (4). In goal,
Chance Pope is 7-3-1 with a 1.57 GAA, a .719 save percentage, and two shared shutouts with
Philip Poser.
UTRGV (5-11-1, 2-7-0) snapped a six-game losing skid with a 3-0 win over CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 1. 2015 marked the return of soccer in the Rio Grande in 18 years. On the season, the Vaqueros are led in points by Isidro Martinez with nine, on two goals and five assists. Juanito Garcia follows with a team-best three goals to go along with two assists and eight points. In goal, Leo Castillo is 4-11-1 with a 1.46 GAA, a .765 save percentage, and three shutouts (two solo and one shared).
The 2015 WAC Tournament will be held Nov. 12-15 from the Durwood Soccer Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
