Saints Men Battled LSU-Alexandria, But Suffered the 2-1 Loss

SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 24, 2024) – The Our Lady of the Lake University men's soccer team, despite a hard-fought battle against the LSU-Alexandria (LSUA) Generals this afternoon, suffered a 2-1 loss. The Saints, now 4-10-1 overall and 3-6-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference, showcased their resilience, while the Generals, with an improved record of 10-3-2 overall and 8-0-2 in the conference, emerged victorious.

History

The Saints are 2-9-4 against LSUA. Last season, the Saints lost 2-1.

Game recap

OLLU standout Thiago Fernandes added the first goal on the board after connecting on a penalty kick in the third minute. Shortly after that, the Saints were shown their first of what would end up being seven yellow cards in the game.

Dominic Pena was kept busy guarding the net throughout the game as he prevented eight shots from their target during the first period.

In the 20th minute, LSUA scored the equalizer also from a penalty kick, and just two minutes later, the Generals scored what would end up being the game-winning goal.

The Saints had two attempts to score, but the Generals' keeper, Valeriu Tarlev, was successful in preventing the ball from getting past him.

The match featured 14 shots from the Generals in the first half, and the Saints defense allowed just six in the second period. OLLU took four shots in each half, led by Alessandro Sierra, who had two, both on goal. Andres Rocha also had two shots.

Pena, with eight saves in the game and a total of 89 for the season, showcased his exceptional goalkeeping skills. Surpassing his last year's total of 88, he now stands second in a season for OLLU. His all-time saves of 177 also place him second in the team's history.

What's next

The Saints will play their next game on Saturday, Oct. 26, against Louisiana Christian University. OLLU is 1-1-1 against the Wildcats. Last year, the teams tied 101.

Hear from Head Coach Shane Hurley