CANYON, Texas – The No. 17-ranked West Texas A&M University men's soccer team played to a draw with the St. Mary's University Rattlers at The Pitch on Thursday night.
The Rattlers found the game's first clean look at goal just under 14 minutes into the game off a corner kick. Deni Cresto found Ariel Cardozo on the other end of his incoming ball when Cardozo whipped a header towards the net. WT goalkeeper
Alfonso Aragon punched the scoring attempt wide, keeping the game scoreless. The Buffs used the momentum to swing the field and push toward the St. Mary's goal.
WT found the opportunity it had been looking for a few seconds past the 17-minute mark. After
Sam Scarth settled a contested ball near midfield,
Anthony Perea sent a ball down field. While the ball was on the way, senior
Kenny Brown timed his run perfectly to stay in stride. Brown needed just one touch to put it past the goalkeeper from outside the 18-yard box. The Buffs held strong defensively for the remainder of the half to hold a 1-0 advantage at the break.
It didn't take long for St. Mary's to level the score following halftime. After a takeaway on the Buffs' side of the field, Cian Foley found Bradley Greene in open space. Greene's shot from 25-yards out snuck past a diving Aragon, tying the game at one.
WT, looking to retake the lead, marched down the field with just under 19 minutes left. After the Buffs found a chance inside the box, the Rattlers looked to clear the pressure when
Chris Palomino rifled a shot into the crossbar off a loose ball. Despite the open look, the Buffs couldn't convert the opportunity.
Throughout the rest of the game, neither team found the offensive rhythm it was looking for as the final horn sounded on the draw. WT outshot St. Mary's 20-10 in the game with the Buffs holding an 8-4 advantage in shots on goals. The Rattlers held a 7-3 advantage in saves with five coming in the second half.
The Buffs travel to Bellingham, Washington to take on Western Washington on September 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. Central Time.
