HOUSTON – Houston Christian University kicked off a three-match homestand with a 2-1 victory over rival University of the Incarnate Word on Friday night at Sorrels Field. The Huskies scored early and late to post a victory that snapped a two-match losing streak and gave them their first nine-win season in 10 years.
 
The Huskies jumped out of the starting blocks quickly, scoring just 2:25 into the contest. Joby Reid was the recipient of a fine opening attack, taking a nifty dink from D'Alessandro Herrera just at the top of the 18 for a right-footed blast across the face of UIW keeper Alejandro De La Torre. Cezar Onut also earned a helper in the build up as HCU took a 1-0 lead.
 
HCU put up three more shots before UIW managed their first. But in the 21st minute, the Cardinals would get their equalizer. A shot by Noe Robles was saved by Aitken, but the rebound fell right into the lap of Evan Kraenzel who slotted it home to pull the visitors even.
 
The two teams would continue to fire away, as the Huskies got efforts from Reid, Herrera and Onut, all saved by De La Torre. Likewise, the Cards had chances from Aarush Kamath and Francisco Segura denied by Aitken, taking the two teams to the intermission knotted at a goal apiece.
 
As the second half carried on, the two longtime rivals continued to mount solid runs but with nothing to show for the first 20 minutes. It was then that the Huskies finally broke through. A reversal of the field put the ball on the feet of Reid on the left flank, and he glided past his defender and to the top corner of the 18 where he fed a ball through traffic to Ben Thirkill. Two short steps put Thirkill inside the box where he smashed a missile past the outstretched arms of De La Torre for the score that put HCU ahead for good.
 
Defense would step up over the final 25 minutes for the hosts who allowed just two shots, one on goal, the remainder of the way to see out the winning result. The Huskies outshot the Cardinals 14-11 and 8-6 on goal in yet another fiercely contested battle in the I-10 series.
 
Reid led HCU with three shots, two on goal while posting his fourth goal of the season and team-high sixth assist. The goal by Thirkill opened his collegiate account while Herrera and Onut added assists.  Alex Aitken made five saves for his ninth victory of the campaign, a new single-season best for the senior.

The assist by Herrera was the 19th of his career, tying him with George Sangira for fourth place all-time, one shy of becoming just the fourth player in school history with 20 career helpers.
 
The goal by Reid is the third-fastest in school history since the restart of the program in 2006. Ryan Okerayi scored exactly one minute into last year's home match against Western Illinois, while Bryant Farkarlun scored two minutes into a 2022 win over Eastern Illinois.
 
Kraenzel's goal for UIW was his first of the season, and he, Segura and Noe Robles each had two shots for the Cardinals (4-7-5 / 0-5-3 OVC). De La Torre was strong in the pipes, putting aside six shots on the evening.
 
HCU improves to 9-5-1 on the season and 4-3-1 in the OVC. It is the first season with nine wins in 10 years as the 2015 squad finished 9-8-2.
 
The Huskies and Cardinals were the only league teams in action on Friday, with the remaining three contests being played Saturday before the final week of the regular season commences next week. HCU hosts Liberty University on Thursday evening before a Senior Day matinee on Sunday, November 2 against Southern Indiana University.
 
 
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