Men’s Soccer looks to bounce back vs. Southwest, Paul Quinn this week

UHV's Carlos Quinones prepares to take a shot during a Red River Athletic Conference Game against LSU Shreveport at The Cage on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (Lily Standridge/UHV Athletics)
UHV's Carlos Quinones prepares to take a shot during a Red River Athletic Conference Game against LSU Shreveport at The Cage on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (Lily Standridge/UHV Athletics)
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October 9, 2024

The UHV men's soccer team is looking to bounce back this week.

After a 2-0 loss to Huston-Tillotson on Saturday, the Jaguars (4-2-1, 2-2-1) are set to host University of the Southwest (3-4-2, 1-3-2) on Thursday and Paul Quinn College (1-5-1, 1-5-0) on Saturday in Red River Athletic Conference play.

After UHV's only other loss this season, the Jaguars responded with a resounding 6-0 win over Texas A&M-Texarkana which featured a hat trick for Yahir Pena. The team will lean on that experience as it looks to get back into the win column this week.

"Right after the (Huston-Tillotson) game, we talked about not being sharp in the right areas of the field," said head coach Adrian Rigby. "We have to make sure we have that intensity and focus throughout the 90 minutes. You can't have one or two lapses and allow a team to play their way into a game. So for us, it's going to be making sure we're sharp the whole game."

The Jaguars have been good at producing on the offensive end of the field this year.

Nine different players have found the back of the net and 11 different players have provided an assist this season, leaving the team confident on the offensive end.

Freshman Dario Elsen has scored a team-leading five times this season while Baillie O'Reilly leads the way in assists with four.

"It's really exciting and, for me, it makes the job easier," said senior center midfielder Carlos Quinones. "To play with these types of players, it's amazing. I think it's a pleasure to play with them. We're always excited to play each other."

UHV holds a 9-3-2 edge in the all-time series with the Mustangs after a 3-2 win in Hobbs, New Mexico, last year. The Jaguars also own a 7-0-0 advantage against the Tigers following last year's 1-0 win in Dallas.

"Most teams in our conference can win on any given day as long as they want to work hard," Rigby said. "So with Southwest coming in, it'll be a tough game. We just have to do what we do well and make sure to put together a good performance."

Saturday's game vs. Paul Quinn is UHV's annual Pink Out game and fans are encouraged to wear pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.