PREVIEW: men's Soccer vs. Southwestern (9/23) | Texas Lutheran (9/25)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
(9/23 vs. Southwestern)
(9/25 vs. Texas Lutheran)
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
UD Men's Soccer Twitter: @UDsoccer
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
Instagram: udallassports
THE LEAD
The University of Dallas men's soccer team (4-3, 1-2 SCAC) hosts Southwestern University at 3 p.m. on Friday and Texas Lutheran University at 12 p.m. on Sunday. The Crusaders are back at the friendly confines since the season-opening victory over Howard Payne University, 5-1, on September 1. UD is coming off a 3-3 road trip that ended in a 2-0 setback at No. 2 (at the time) Trinity University.
UD NOTES
- Dallas is 1-1 in its current 13-game stretch of Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) opponents that end the regular season docket.
- Luke Schwarz (Tucson, Ariz.) leads UD in goals with three and points with eight. The junior is tied with Chima Ogueri (Garland, Texas) as only other player with multiple assists with two.
- A quartet of players remain with two goals on the season. This group includes: Barton Holdridge (Fort Worth, Texas), Hunter Haugland (Bixby, Okla.), Garrett Hammer (Colleyville, Texas), and Andrew Ciancone (Houston, Texas).
- Tino Gamueda (Lubbock, Texas) earned his first shutout of the season last Friday in UD's only conference win so far at Schreiner University. The goalkeeper eclipsed 150 career saves that match and has 22 on the season through 601:41 minutes.
SCOUTING THE PIRATES
Southwestern (4-3, 3-0 SCAC) remains unblemished in conference play having won its past three straight contests. The Pirates have outscored their SCAC opponents 6-2 with all three matches resulting in a score of two goals for the Gold and Black. Southwestern is 4-2 at home this year, which is the venue all league games have occurred. The lone away match for SU thus far was a 1-0 loss at Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Jake Swonke and Christian Lopez are the top two individuals on the squad with two goals and three assists for seven points apiece. Swonke was named SCAC Offensive Player of the Week for the most recent stretch of games. Ryan Benner has made 24 saves in 540 minutes between the pipes. He is 4-2 on the fall.
Dallas is 2-13 in the all-time series against Southwestern. One of those victories occurred in 2015 at Georgetown, Texas, in a 3-0 shutout. The Crusaders utilized a trio of second half goals all tallied by current players on the roster. Holdridge, Stephen Gahan (Vancouver, Wash.), and Naseem Said (Pearland, Texas) all scored in respective order to secure the win. Gamueda pitched a shutout with five saves.
The Crusaders was topped 2-1 in overtime at Crusader Field in the later match that season. Said scored the equalizer in that game at the 85:13 minute mark on an assist from Eric Haigh (Frisco, Texas). Gamueda made four saves. Southwestern's Swonke did connect with the golden goal.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Texas Lutheran (2-5, 2-1 SCAC) has won its past two games in conference play after starting the year winless through five. Both victories were at home against Austin College and Centenary College in 1-0 fashion. TLU plays at Colorado College on Friday.
The Bulldogs have totaled three goals on the campaign, all coming the same number of previous games. Eduardo Lopez-Rivera, Chase Silk, and Victor Vasquez each have a goal, while Cameron Townes and David Ching have counted the two team's assists. Brendan Soto and Victor Rodriguez have shared time in the net with Soto starting in all five of his appearances with 16 saves and 360 minutes accumulated. Rodriguez has claimed two starts and 274 minutes to go with 12 saves.
Dallas is 3-5 in the overall series with the Bulldogs. Both decisions in 2015 were situated in one-goal differences. The host venue prevailed in both contests, with UD taking a 2-1 edge in the game at Irving, Texas. The Crusaders staked a 2-0 edge at halftime. Schwarz scored a goal and assisted Said's scoring play to boast three points. A goal in the 52nd minute was not enough to knot the match for TLU, as Gamueda made three saves overall.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Dallas continues its season-long home stand with two games the following Friday and Sunday. On Sept. 30, the men's soccer team plays after the women's team at 5 p.m. versus Austin College. As the calendar turns to October 1, UD hosts Centenary College at 12 p.m.