Posted: Nov 09, 2019
TLU Men's Soccer advances to first-ever SCAC Championship final with 2-0 win over Trinity
Trinity (Tex.)
(11-6-2, 7-3-0)
0
Texas Lutheran
(13-5-0, 8-3-0)
2
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Trinity (Tex.) (11-6-2, 7-3-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Texas Lutheran (13-5-0, 8-3-0) | 0 | 2 | 2 |
SAN ANTONIO -- The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs are headed to their first-ever Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championship final after Saturday's 2-0 victory over Trinity in the SCAC semifinal round.
Seventeen years to the day after winning the only men's soccer championship in its history, TLU advanced to its second-ever conference title game. TLU won the 2002 American Southwest Conference Men's Soccer Championship with current head coach Eddie Salazar as a central defender.
With Salazar, in his 14th season at the helm of the program, watching from the sidelines at Trinity's Paul McGinlay Field, the Bulldogs received the game-winning goal in the 80th minute from sophomore forward Nicolas Medina (Houston/St. Pius X). Ralph Miller (New Braunfels/St. John Paul II) picked up the match-winning assist.
Medina's goal was his fourth of the season. Miller, a true freshman, collected his second career assist.
TLU put the match away in the 89th minute with a goal from SCAC Offensive Player of the Year Luis Green (Monterrey, Mexico/Smithson Valley (Texas)), who scored unassisted.
The Bulldogs improved to 14-5 overall. Trinity dropped to 11-6-2.
TLU will play Colorado College (14-5) for the SCAC Championship at 1 p.m. Sunday at McGinlay Field in San Antonio.
The Bulldogs had never advanced past the SCAC semifinal round in men's soccer. TLU avenged an overtime loss to Trinity in last season's SCAC semifinal.
TLU defeated Trinity for the first time in 2019 after losing a pair of regular-season matches to the Tigers.
TLU had not won on Trinity's home field as a member of the NCAA Division III. TLU officially joined DIII for the 2002-03 athletics seasons.
Against the Tigers on Saturday, the second-seeded Bulldogs received a shutout in goal from freshman keeper Caleb Weed, who made three saves.
Although the Bulldogs were out-shot overall 15-11 by the Tigers, TLU led in shots on goal 7-3. Total shots were equal in the second half, with each team taking eight.
Green kept the pressure on the Tigers. The sophomore forward took seven total shots and have five shots on goal.
Green's late goal now gives him a new TLU DIII-era record 19 goals and moves him within three goals of tying the all-time TLU single-season goals mark. Green now has 37 career goals in 37 career matches played for the Bulldogs.
