The Saints will follow a three-game winning streak into the last three games of the regular season as they close out their inaugural season.

But the team may not be ready to dust their cleats off from this season.  Head coach Shane Hurley and the Saints are looking to the future and one thing: an at-large bid into the playoffs. 

According to Hurley the University of Texas-Brownsville and Texas Wesleyan are “favorable” to take the top spots in the Red River Conference championship tournament.  With the defeats of both these teams the Saints need to win their last three games in order to put themselves in good standing to obtain a bid

The team’s last three games, which include Huston-Tillotson and the University of St. Thomas, are crucial wins to put the team in the best position to possibly obtain one of these bids according to Hurley.

“We need to win the next three,” Hurley said.  “Then if we don’t get the bid for some reason, somebody must have overlooked us.  If we do lose two of the next three then we have no complaints if we don’t get a bid.  So to make sure we’ve done ourselves justice and put ourselves in the right position to feel that really should be considered for one of those at-large bids we need to win the next three.”

The team has had a successful season for a first year team.  Currently they carry an 8-3-1 record and in NAIA Division I are ranked 22nd for number of shutouts per game and 44th for goals per game.  However, with the bid into the playoffs within reach the team knows there is still much more to accomplish.

“From a team standpoint, from a personal standpoint, I don’t think we’ve overachieved,” said Arthur Salazar, goalkeeper and team captain.  “I think we’ve done just what we thought we were capable of doing.  Maybe from an outsider’s perspective we overachieved but I think we’ve always had high expectations.  We’re definitely not ready to settle for what we have accomplished to this point.”

Soccer post-game report: 10-04-07 @ Texas Wesleyan University
Score: 2-1 (OLLU wins)
Current team record: 8-3-1

The Saints hit the road to take on Texas Wesleyan University on Oct. 4 where they defeated the Rams 2-1.

 Tomas Flores scored both goals for the Saints.  The first goal was assisted by Joel Frias and the second was unassisted coming off a defensive rebound.

Soccer post-game report: 9-28-07 vs Southwestern Assemblies of God
Score: 9-0 (OLLU wins)
Current team record: 7-3-1

The Saints dominated on both the offense and defense sides of the field when they hosted Southwestern Assemblies of God University.  The team held their opponent to an entire scoreless game and added nine goals of their own in the win on Sept. 28.

Scoring goals for the Saints in the total offensive domination of the game were: Tomas Flores who scored three goals, the first goal was assisted by Joel Frias and the last two went unassisted; Jose “Ricky” Ortiz added one; Kahlil Davis scored a goal assisted by Ricardo Guerra and then put in one unassisted; Joel Frias and Christopher Cantu also scored an unassisted goal each.

Soccer post-game report: 9-20-07 @ Northwood University
Score: 1-0 (OLLU wins)
Current team record: 6-3-1

Cesar Dominguez scored a goal off a free kick during the second half of the match to seal the win over Northwood University for the Saint.

Dallas Longfellow assisted the goal.

Soccer post-game report: 9-15-07 vs Houston Baptist University
Score: 2-1 (HBU wins)
Current team record: 5-3-1

The Saints are looking to get back to their winning ways after suffering a loss to Houston Baptist University 2-1 in overtime over the weekend.  The two teams remained scoreless throughout the entire first half. 

HBU’s Andrew Collins put the Huskies on the board first nailing a kick from the center of the box into the net.  Saints’ midfielder Kahill Davis tied up the score with a blistering strike from 25 yards out.  The goal was assisted by Ricky Ortiz.  HBU took the game during overtime off a penalty kick.

“It was an unfortunate ending,” head coach Shane Hurley said.  “I am proud of the guys.  They maintained composure throughout the entire game.  It was not the result they deserved.”

Soccer post-game report: 9-14-07 vs University of Texas-Brownsville @ OLLU
Score: 1-0 (OLLU wins)
Current team record: 5-2-1

The Saints’ combined aggressive defense with tenacious offense to defeat the University of Texas-Brownsville 1-0 in overtime.

Striker Tomas Flores scored the winning goal off a corner kick more than three-fourths through the first half of overtime.  The goal was assisted by Dallas Longfellow and came after playing almost 100 minutes. 

After winning the game Flores could not put into words what was going through his mind.

“I can’t describe it,” Flores said.  “We wanted this game.  It didn’t matter how.  We just wanted to take it.”

The game carried not only the pressure to bounce back from Tuesday’s loss to Huston-Tillotson University but for Saints players from the valley the game hit close to home.

“UT-Brownsville is some of our hometown,” said back Ricardo Guerra after the win.  “We have friends out there but a game is a game and we wanted to win.”

Soccer post-game report: 9-11-07 vs Huston-Tillotson @ OLLU
Score: 2-1 (Huston-Tillotson wins)
Current team record: 4-2-1

The Saints’ soccer team suffered their second loss of the season when they hosted the defending NAIA Red River Conference champion Rams of Huston-Tillotson University.

The winning goal was scored with less than a minute left in stoppage time of regulation.  In a back and forth game between the two teams, the score had remained tied at one goal apiece, until that point.  Dallas Longfellow scored for the Saints during the first half off of a left footed half-volley.

“They had better team chemistry,” central defender Eric Torkildsen said.  “We worked to play defense but that guy at the end had five inches on all of us.  We gave it our all.  This loss just makes Friday’s game more important to us.”

Soccer post-game report: 9-8-07 at Texas Lutheran University
Score: 1-1 at end of regulation; remained 1-1 after two 10 minute halves in OT
Current team record: 4-1-1

The Saints battled the Bulldogs of Texas Lutheran University in a game that came down to a 1-1 tie after two overtime periods at TLU’s Gustafson Field in Seguin, TX.

Midfielder Dallas Longfellow put the Saints on the board by nailing a free kick from 25 yards out during the first half.  The Saints continued to hold the Bulldogs at bay throughout the rest of the first half.

TLU’s Silas Blackwell answered in the second half by adding an unassisted goal to tie the score.  A crucial save close to the end of regulation by goalkeeper Arthur Salazar kept the Saints alive, and with no other goal scored by either team the game was sent into overtime.

The teams played two additional 10 minute halves in the grueling mid-afternoon heat, and at the end of overtime the score remained locked up at one goal apiece.

“We worked extremely hard for the 110 minutes we played,” Salazar said.  “For a first year program we have started out strong.”

Soccer post-game report: 9-3-07 vs Howard Payne University
Score: 1-0 (OLLU wins)
Current team record: 4-1

The Saints added another win to their record on Sept. 3 when they hosted Howard Payne University.  The Saints defeated the Jackets 1-0.

Kahlil Davis scored the goal, assisted by Tomas Flores.

Soccer post-game report: 9-1-07 at College of the Southwest
Score: 2-1 (OLLU wins)
Current team record: 3-1

The Saints traveled to Hobbs, New Mexico to face off against the Mustangs from College of the Southwest.  The Saints pulled off a victory over the Mustangs, 2-1, in overtime.

Providing the goals for the Saints were Tomas Flores who scored with two minutes left in regulation and Kahlil Davis who scored 30 seconds into overtime.  The goal was assisted by Esteban Rocha.

Soccer post-game report: 8-30-07 vs St. Thomas University
Score: 1-0 (St. Thomas wins)
Current team record: 2-1

The Saints held their home-game opener on Aug. 30 when they hosted the Celts from St. Thomas University-Houston.  The Celts were able to pull out a win over the Saints, 1-0, giving the Saints their first loss of the season. 

“It was a tough loss,” goalkeeper Arthur Salazar said.  “But it was great to have our first home game and receive the support we did.”

UST’s Omar Alonso scored the lone goal of the game.

Soccer post-game report: 8-25-07 at Mid-America Christian University (Oklahoma)
                                         8-26-07 at Bacone College (Oklahoma)   
Score: 3-2 vs Mid-America Christian University (OLLU wins)
            3-0 vs Bacone College (OLLU wins)
Current team record: 2-0

The Saints began their season on Aug. 24-25, in Oklahoma, where they defeated Mid-America Christian University 3-2 and Bacone College 3-0. 

In the first game, Flores put the Saints on the board scoring a goal assisted by Longfellow, Ortiz scored an unassisted goal during the MACU game, and David Martinez scored the final goal during the MACU and was assisted by Ortiz. 

During the second game, Flores, again, scored the Saints’ first goal assisted by Longfellow, followed by a goal from David Flores, also assisted by Longfellow, and Davis scored the Saints’ final goal off a penalty kick in the shut-out of Bacone.

“I am very pleased with the results of the team and the players, considering we are starting almost all freshmen and playing teams with juniors and seniors and being highly competitive,” Hurley said.  “It speaks highly about the determination the boys have.”