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Men's Soccer Zach Davis | Laredo Morning Times

Two At The Top

TAMIU thrashes St. Mary's to set up championship showdown

By Zach Davis
Laredo Morning Times
Published: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 1:50 AM CDT

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Trailing one goal early, the Texas A&M International men's soccer team scored four unanswered goals in San Antonio.

In the process, the Dustdevils set up their biggest match of the season.

TAMIU picked up a 4-1 victory at St. Mary's and in doing so thrust themselves into first place in the race for the Heartland Conference.

"We generated a lot of options in the first half but we just couldn't finish," Dustdevils head coach Claudio Arias said.

"Our position in the second half was better. We got two late goals to put them away."

The victory over the Rattlers improves TAMIU to 8-6-1 with a 6-1 record in the Heartland Conference.

They move into a first place tie in the league with No. 13 St. Edward's (10-3-1, 6-1 Heartland) after the Hilltoppers lost to Lubbock Christian (9-4-1, 6-1) 1-0 at home.

Although the Chaparrals also have a 6-1 league record, they are still a provisional school being in their first season and not eligible for a conference championship.

The win by TAMIU and loss from SEU sets up the most important game of the year in the Heartland Conference as the Hilltoppers travel to Laredo for a game Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Dustdevil Field.

The winner of the match will clinch the 2013 regular season Heartland Conference championship.

"Regardless of the importance of that game and whether there is a conference championship on the line or not we always want to beat St. Edward's," Arias said.

"It is a rivalry that we have had for about four or five years.

The guys are motivated and everybody is pretty healthy right now. It is a big game and we will be ready for it."

TAMIU and St. Edward's playing for the conference championship is nothing new, as the teams have combined for the last three league titles.

The Dustdevils won Heartland Conference Championship in 2010 and 2011 before coming in second place last season, just a half-game back of SEU.

The teams matched up twice in 2012, tying both times, and allowed a heartbreaking goal with just 89 seconds remaining in Laredo.

This is the first matchup between the teams this season.

"We haven't talked about St. Edward's," Arias said.

"Up until today we were just concentrating on beating St. Mary's. What is in the past is in the past.

"We just want to make sure we regain the title and that people know that we are proud to be with Texas A&M International soccer.

Playing in Laredo is difficult for everyone and hopefully we can bring the title home."

With men's soccer being the only major Division II sport without a postseason tournament, the winner of the conference could be the only achievement either of the teams claims.

The Heartland Conference holds no automatic bids into the NCAA Division II Tournament, even to the league winner.

"We are the only sport that doesn't have an automatic bid and that pretty much messes everything up," Arias said.

"It's nice to have that conference title under your belt because that's something that proves that we are the best in the conference and one of the best in the country.

But the NCAA is stubborn enough not to want to create a spot for soccer to have the conference championship advance into the national tournament, which is pretty unfair."

In the matchup against St. Mary's, freshman forward Ryan Hodgson scored his team-leading seventh goal on the season in the 31st minute to tie the match at one after a goal in the first 10 minutes by the Rattlers.

Hodgson also picked up his second assist of 2013.

Sophomore forward Eduardo Gonzalez scored the go-ahead score six minutes into the second half before junior Eduardo Serrano and sophomore Robert Dominguez added goals in the 81st and 89th minutes, respectively.

The Dustdevils held a 16-7 edge on shots with a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal.

They played the match without sophomore defender Camilo Botero, who was held out after picking up too many yellow cards this season.

"It was encouraging considering that Camilo was not in because of an accumulation of yellow cards," Arias said.

"Yamin Olavarrieta and Jonathan Saldana came in big for us to fill his shoes."

Follow @ZachDavisLMT on Twitter for the latest news on TAMIU athletics and other local sports.

E-mail: ZDavis@LMTOnline.com
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