🆚 Western Illinois
📆 Thursday, October 3, 2024
⏰ 7 pm
🏟️ Sorrels Field – Houston, Texas
📈 LIVE STATS
🆚 Liberty
📆 Sunday, October 6, 2024
⏰ 7 pm
🏟️ Sorrels Field – Houston, Texas
📈 LIVE STATS
📺 ESPN+
HOUSTON ---- Houston Christian University returns to the pitch to complete a four-game homestand with a pair of Ohio Valley Conference tilts at Sorrels Field. The Huskies will host OVC newcomer Western Illinois on Thursday evening, then welcome Liberty on Sunday night.
The Huskies are coming off a thrilling 2-1 result over arch-rival University of the Incarnate Word last Saturday night in the conference opener. The Huskies trailed one-nil after a score by UIW just into the 65th minute of play, but rallied shy of 10 minutes later for two goals within a 2:36 span.
HCU is now 3-4-2 overall and 1-0-0 in conference play. The Huskies are 2-0-2 over their last four and unbeaten in three and have played just one match this year decided by more than one goal.
In the 74th minute, the Huskies found themselves on the attack once again and
Ryan Okerayi was clipped in the box to give HCU a penalty. He would take the PK honors himself, crushing the game's equalizer past UIW's keeper.
Not content, HCU continued to push the pace. Two-and-a-half minutes after he knotted the score, it was Okerayi again leading the charge. Breaking down the left side of the offensive end, Okerayi crossed a ball into the box, where
D'Alessandro Herrera softly guided it to
Ethan Giwa-McNeil storming down his right flank into the box. His right-footed blast found nothing but nylon to push the Huskies in front 2-1.
HCU would stave off several bursts in the final 12 minutes. A quick left-footed flick by Diego Robles was grabbed by Aitken in the 85th minute and the Huskies were able to ward off the Cardinals down the stretch for the conference-opening three points.
The offensive attack continues to be fairly balanced, as seven different players have hit the back of the net for the Huskies.
Ethan Giwa-McNeil leads the team with four goals ranking third in the league. He is also second in the OVC in shots with 21 and shots per game at 2.63 on the season, whilst being knotted with
Ryan Okerayi for fourth in the league in points per game at 1.00.
Okerayi is now second on the club in goals with three, tied for fourth in the league, and his assist on Saturday tied him with
Freddy Ferguson for the team lead with three. The pair is tied fourth in the OVC in assists.
Ricardo Garcia and
D'Alessandro Herrera have each scored twice,
Hans Leza sits second on the club with two helpers.
Alex Aitken had two saves against UIW, tying him for third place with Christopher Dodd on the all-time HCU leaderboard. He is second in the league in save percentage, second in saves per game at 4.00 and third in total saves with 28 in seven matches. He is first in the league in goals against average at 1.29 per outing.
On Thursday, the Huskies will host Western Illinois University in just the second-ever meeting between the two schools. The only other time the two squared off was in 1985 for a 2-2 overtime draw in Macomb, Illinois.
Western Illinois will hit the Sorrels pitch at 5-4-1 overall and 0-1-0 in OVC play after dropping its conference opener at Liberty last Saturday by a 7-1 score. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Leathernecks.
Like HCU, WIU boasts a diverse offensive attack as eight different players have put one through the woodwork this season. Liam Gainey leads the way with five goals, second best in the OVC to Liberty's Michael Huss, who has seven after his hat-trick in the Saturday Liberty victory. Gainey has two helpers to give him 12 points on the year, also second in the OVC. Xavier Gagnon has three goals and three others chip in two apiece.
The Leathernecks have employed three keepers on the season, with Micah Ramirez leading the trio with eight matches played and a 2-4-1 record. Alexis Michaud is 2-0-0 in five matches played.
HCU and Liberty meet on Sunday night, with the Flames holding a 1-0-1 advantage in the series, both contests coming last season. LU won 3-1 in Lynchburg, Virginia on October 1 and then got an 86th minute equalizer to tie the Huskies 1-1 at Sorrels Field. LU will be playing at UIW on Thursday night, entering the week at 3-3-1 overall and 1-0-0 in league play.
After the pair of matches to conclude the homestand the Huskies will embark to the Midwest for two on the road. HCU heads to Evansville, Indiana to face University of Southern Indiana on October 10 and then on to Charleston, Illinois to take on Eastern Illinois on Sunday, October 13.
The Huskies return to Fondren Road for the final two home matches of the season on October 17 against Lindenwood University and October 20 against SIU-Edwardsville.
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