Men’s soccer opens RRAC play at #14 LSU Shreveport, Louisiana Christian
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Team Stats
#14 LSU Shreveport
| Game Statistics | A&M-Victoria | #14 LSU Shreveport |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 11 (4) | 20 (12) |
| Saves | 9 | 4 |
| Fouls | 4 | 3 |
| Corner Kicks | 2 | 6 |
| Offsides | 0 | 3 |
Louisiana Christian
| Game Statistics | A&M-Victoria | Louisiana Christian |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 12 (8) | 14 (5) |
| Saves | 4 | 6 |
| Fouls | 25 | 14 |
| Corner Kicks | 2 | 7 |
| Offsides | 4 | 1 |
To be the best, you have to beat the best.
The Texas A&M University-Victoria men's soccer team will get the chance to prove itself against the best in the Red River Athletic Conference immediately by squaring off with the defending regular season champion and No. 14-ranked LSU Shreveport and the defending tournament champions Louisiana Christian this week to open conference play.
The Jaguars (4-3) have won four of their last five matches and feel strongly about their potential heading into the conference openers Thursday and Saturday.
"We're as ready as anyone can be," said head coach Vince Martinez. "A lot of people have been getting playing time in our previous games, but now you have to go with your strongest team at all times. We know how tough the Red River and our next two opponents are. It will be nice to get on the road and focused on these games. We're excited."
Despite seeing its four-match winning streak end last Saturday, the Jaguars have scored 13 goals in the last six matches. During the win streak, the Jaguars only conceded once as they outscored opponents 11-1 during that time.
Jervan Matthew has led A&M-Victoria's attack with four goals and two assists, all of which have come in the last five matches. His four goals ranks fourth in the RRAC.
He and the conference-leader in assists (5), Baillie O'Reilly, have combined with each other for five of the Jaguars' 14 goals.
That's been the tip of the Jaguar's balanced attack, which has featured seven different goalscorers and eight players with an assist this season. Freshman Chris Mendez became the seventh different Jaguars to find the back of the net with a game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Huston-Tillotson on Thursday.
"That's a luxury to have when you have a really good bench," Martinez said. "Every game it seems to be someone else. It's not always the same guys. We've been playing a lot of guys and it seems like every game, someone new is stepping up. It's been great to have."
After facing strong opponents in non-conference, Martinez feels confident about his team heading into the start of conference play.
"When you look at non-conference scheduling, you've got to schedule good opponents to see where your weaknesses are," Martinez said. "So, I think that's benefitted us. Having a good strength of schedule in non-conference games has been really beneficial for us to see what we're doing well and what we're not."