CANYON, Texas – A second-half goal by UT Tyler with less than 15 minutes to play prevented the West Texas A&M men's soccer team from walking away with a Lone Star Conference victory and three points towards the conference standings. After the 2-2 draw, the Buffs moved to 6-4-4 overall and 3-1-2 in league play.
 
The Buffs came off the opening kickoff as the aggressors in the conference matchup. Less than five minutes into the game, Dylan Watson looked to put WT on the scoreboard as the sophomore ripped a shot from outside the box. Watson's attempt came up inches short as his shot nailed the cross bar. The Buffs kept up their unrelenting pressure following the shot, generating a takeaway in the 8^th minute. After WT gained possession, Bryan Martinez found an open Matteo Landais. Landais took a few yards of space before firing a shot into the back of the net. The Patriots didn't let the one-goal difference down their spirits as UT Tyler tied the game 10 minutes later. With just over five minutes to play in the first half, WT regained the advantage. A quick connection from Sam Scarth to Gabriel Nevarez led to a pass to Beck Adams inside the box. As Adams' time started to dwindle, the sophomore turned and fired a shot to beat Patriot goalkeeper Diego Berlingeri. Despite a 6-5 deficit in shots, the Buffs held on to a one-goal lead into halftime.
 
The Buffs came off the second-half kickoff firing a flurry of shots at new UT Tyler goalkeeper Luke Ryan. In the opening 10 minutes, WT sent four shots toward the Patriots' goal but only one found its way on goal. UT Tyler attempted to counter the Buffs' aggression, but the WT defense shut down multiple Patriots' attacks along the way. With 27 minutes to play, Asaf Kristal made a huge save to keep the Buffs in the lead. As Thato Meko neared the goal line, Meko ripped a shot where Kristal made a kick save to push the shot wide. WT tried to turn defense into offense five minutes later when Dylan Watson sent a rocket toward Ryan in goal. The Patriots' goalkeeper made an impressive save of his own as he closed the shooting lane. UT Tyler caught WT in transition with 15 minutes to play as Jordan Toy took the ball to the touch line. Toy sent a centering pass through the Buffs' defense where Luis Mahecha finished the ball into the back of the net. As the clock went under a minute to play, WT loaded up for one final attack. The Buffs pushed the ball into the UT Tyler box where Landais turned and fired a shot. Landais, who had a great look at goal, watch his shot go into the diving body of a Patriots' defender as time expired.
 
WT visits the Sooner State for a match with Oklahoma Christian on Wednesday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at the Eagle Soccer field in Oklahoma City.