Men’s soccer team reaches full time
After a heartbreaking loss to Eastern New Mexico University, the men’s soccer team advanced two games closer to the end of the season.
One out of the two games was against cross-town rivals University of the Incarnate Word. After a devastating 4-0 loss in the previous match, the Rattlers had more than just a win to play for. Going into the game, senior captain Adam Villanueva was determined to win at home. “I had a lot to play for the first time, but now its revenge, it’s determination, it’s pride,” Villanueva said. This time around, the Rattlers would be playing alongside with returning midfielder Joe Diaz. Diaz said he was excited about being back.
“It was frustrating not being able to help my team out in the last game. I expect to win. I expect it to be really tough; I expect it to be a battle,” Diaz said. At the start of the game, the Rattlers were performing completely different from when they played UIW at home. They played with confidence and challenged every ball. The game was physical; it was fast-paced, and nothing short of a rivalry game. Both teams had chances in the first half, but the game was scoreless at halftime. Going into the second half, St. Mary’s looked to possess the ball and capitalize on the missed chances from the first half.
However, the game took a turn for the worse when UIW scored the first goal of the game in the fifty-ninth minute. After the goal, it continued to get worse. Defender Daniel Sanguineti and midfielder Aaron Strother were issued red cards within five minutes of each other. St. Mary’s was left with nine men for the last twenty minutes of the game.
The Rattlers continued to play with heart and it paid off. In the seventy-second minute, St. Mary’s leveled up the scoring and lifted the spirits of the players with an amazing free kick from Villanueva. Even so, being down two players proved to be too much when UIW went ahead with a goal in the seventy-sixth minute.
St. Mary’s proved that they can challenge any team when they set their mind to it. The Rattlers rounded out their season two days later against St. Edward’s with a disappointing 4-1 loss. St. Mary’s finishes with a 5-12-1 record. The Rattlers only lose four from their roster and still have promising talent with the underclassmen ranks. Next year’s season should not only prove exciting, but impressive.
