🆚 Florida Gulf Coast University
📆 Wednesday, September 16, 2026
⏰ 7:00 pm CT
🏟️ Sorrels Field – Houston, Texas
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🗒️ GAME NOTES
Houston Christian University returns home to Sorrels Field on Wednesday night to face Florida Gulf Coast University in the penultimate non-conference matchup of the season. Kick-off on Fondren Road is slated for 7 pm.
The Huskies have not played since last Monday night, a 1-0 victory over former WAC foe Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. HCU withstood an aggressive GCU from the start, as the hosts pushed the tempo and leveled shots on the HCU defense. The Lopes had a stretch of three shots on target in a two-minute span ending in the 16th minute, but were denied each time by HCU goalkeeper
Harvey Heeps.
The Huskies put their first good attempt on target in the 18th minute, as
Ryan Okerayi's shot was saved by Beltran Fernandez. The Lopes would continue to push the pace, and nearly came up with the opening tally in the 32nd minute, but Bradley DeJesus shot rattled off the post.
Just seconds later, HCU was awarded a free kick, and
Harvey Heeps launched a long pass that covered three quarters of the pitch. The ball whistled its way through traffic and onto the feet of
Clarenns Sainrimat, who took one more touch to his right before smashing a shot across the face of Fernandez to the bottom left corner for the games first score just a second into the 33rd minute.
HCU took that 1-0 lead into the intermission, then withstood a continued barrage in the second half. Heeps would make a trio of stops late in the half to hold the hosts at bay. The Huskies were outshot 27-7, including 11-3 on goal and GCU earned nine corners to just three for the blue and orange.
Clarenns Sainrimat opened his blue and orange account with his first goal of the season.
Ryan Okerayi had a pair of shots, one on target.
Harvey Heeps got his first career assist, the first by an HCU netminder since Chance Pope in 2015. He also recorded a career-high nine saves in posting his second clean sheet of the campaign.
HCU is now 2-3-1 on the season under Head Coach
Ryan Pratt, in his 10th season at the helm. The Huskies come into Wednesday night's match having played the 64th toughest schedule in the country. HCU now ranks 109 in the RPI, the highest of any Ohio Valley Conference member. The Huskies currently sit third in the OVC standings behind league newcomer UTRGV and defending league champion Lindenwood University as the non-conference slate winds down.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the
Huskies had swept the Ohio Valley Conference weekly honors. Sainrimat was named Offensive Player of the Week,
Nico Kross picked up the Defensive Player of the Week, and Heep earned his second Goalkeeper of the Week accolade of the season.
Through six matches, the Huskies are still searching to find their stride on offense.
Callum Niven leads the club with two goals, both coming on Friday night, while
Ryan Okerayi and Sainrimat have the other scores for HCU. Okerayi's was a 75th minute game-winner from the spot in the 1-0 win over UMass Lowell. HCU is averaging 8.8 shots per match with 3.3 of those coming on target.
The defense, beleaguered by injuries, has continued to fight through the tough early schedule, which has shown to be an offensive gauntlet of sorts.
Harvey Heeps has been solid in his debut season in the pipes after taking over from OVC Goalkeeper of the Year
Alex Aitken. He has 29 saves over the first six matches, including a career-high nine against both then No. 5 SMU and Grand Canyon last Monday.
The Huskies are coming off a second straight runner-up finish in the Ohio Valley Conference. HCU went 11-5-3 overall and advanced to the OVC title match where it fell at Lindenwood to the Lions in a penalty kick shootout. It was the most victories in a single season since the 1990 team won 14 and are now 10-5-5 in league play over the past two seasons.
HCU and Florida Gulf Coast University will hook up for just the second time ever. The two schools had their initial meeting last year in Fort Myers, with the host Eagles put two goals on the board in the first half and made them stand up in snapping a three-game HCU winning streak.
The match is the first of two on the week for both clubs, as HCU takes to Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday for its final non-conference match at Oral Roberts University while the Eagles head to San Antonio to complete their Texas two-step at University of the Incarnate Word on Friday.
FGCU is currently 2-4 on the season after falling 2-1 to University of North Florida last Saturday at home. The Eagles are led by Oliver Twelvetrees, now in his second season at the helm.
Offensively, the Eagles have put nine goals on the board in six games, led by junior forward Aron Martinez, who has three goals along with an assist. Sophomore midfielder Emerson LaOrden has two goals and an assist while junior forward Brooks Beeman has two goals as well.
The net is minded by sophomore Marcelo Lacayo, who has made five starts with 22 saves while facing 55 shots.
HCU will face ORU at 7 pm on Saturday night in Tulsa at the Case Soccer Complex. The Huskies return to Sorrels Field the following Saturday, September 26 to kick off the OVC slate when they host longtime rival UIW.
#DawgsUp
