🆚 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
📆 Wednesday, September 17, 2025
⏰ 6:30 pm CT
🏟️ UTRGV Soccer Complex – Edinburg, Texas
📈 LIVE STATS       
📺 ESPN+       

Houston Christian University continues its five-match road stretch on Wednesday evening when it travels to Edinburg to face off with rival UT-Rio Grande Valley.
 
It's a quick turnaround for the Huskies who will be looking to bounce back from Sunday's 2-0 defeat at FGCU that snapped a three-match winning streak. The Eagles put two scores on the board in the first half and made them stand up with a strong defensive effort that kept the Huskies scoreless for just the second time this season.
 
HCU once again put forth a double-digit shots effort, but only managed five of those on target. The host Eagles were very efficient on the offensive end, putting nine of their 12 shots on goal.
 
Edson Murguia scored in the 12th minute for the game-winner, a goal to the bottom right that put the Eagles ahead for good. Caio Oliveira doubled the FGCU (4-2-1) lead in the 39th minute with a blast to the top left corner
 
Alex Aitken had a season-high seven saves for the Huskies while allowing the two goals.
 
Ryan Okerayi leads the club with eight points coming on a team-high four goals, having put eight of his 14 total shots on goal thus far for a .571 SOG%. Joby Reid, a freshman from New Zealand, has five points on a goal along with his team-best three assists. Nico Kross and Ben Thirkill are second on the club in helpers, tied at two.
 
As far as league numbers go thus far, HCU has three players in the top 10 for shots per game in Ryan Okerayi, D'Alessandro Herrera and Joby Reid, all at two or more. Okerayi is currently fifth in the OVC in points and is tied for the league lead in goals scored with four. Reid is tied for fourth in the OVC in assists while Nico Kross is tied for seven with his pair.
 
Alex Aitken has three clean sheets to rank second in the league. He is third in the league in GAA at 0.67, one of four goalkeepers in the OVC sitting at a sub-one level.
 
The match with UTRGV is the second match of five straight away from Sorrels Field, a month-long excursion to which the Huskies will not return to Fondren Road until October 9.
 
The Huskies and Vaqueros have met 25 times dating all the way back to 1979, with HCU leading the all-time series 14-8-3. The two teams last met in 2024 at Sorrels Field, a match decided on a steal and smash goal by Ryan Okerayi in the 78th minute that handed the Huskies a 1-0 result.
 
The two schools spent eight seasons together as members of the WAC before HCU joined the Ohio Valley Conference in 2023. This is a transition year for RGV with no conference affliation before formally joining HCU in the OVC as an affiliate member for soccer in 2026. The addition of UTRGV will give Texas three teams in the league, which is now in its third season of soccer competition.
 
The Vaqueros are led by Bryheem Hancock, now in his fifth season at the helm in the Valley. UTRGV is currently 0-4 on the campaign after dropping its most recent outing, a 2-1 defeat at UIW on Friday evening.
 
UTRGV is paced by transfer midfielder Eduardo De Oliveria (Western Nebraska) and transfer forward Koren Klein (St. Mary's CA), each of whom have registered a goal. Alexis Gonzalez returns in the pipes for the Vaqueros, and is 0-4 with 11 saves. He went 1-2-1 in four starts last season.
 
Following the match with UTRGV, the Huskies will take off for nine days in preparation for the Ohio Valley Conference schedule. The OVC slate opens in San Antonio against arch-rival University of the Incarnate Word, arguably the hottest team in the league with a current five-match unbeaten streak including a win over then No. 18 SMU and a draw with No. 21 Pitt on Monday evening. Lindenwood still remains perfect at 7-0 on the outskirts of league play.
 
The match with UIW is the first of three consecutive league games away from home. HCU does not return to the friendly confines of Sorrels Field until October 9, when it hosts Eastern Illinois University at 7 pm.
 
#DawgsUp