SAN ANTONIO - The University of the Incarnate Word men's soccer team hosts the first Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) game on Friday against Houston Christian University (HCU) at 7:00 p.m.
The Cardinals spent the past eleven days at the nest prepping for Friday's matchup and anticipate continuing their success against conference rivals. The record between the Cardinals and Huskies is 7-6-3, with their last match ending in a draw.
How to Follow Games
CARDINALS
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UIW hasn't recorded a loss since late August against Gonzaga. Currently, the Cardinals have a 4-2-2 record this season, tied for the third best in the OVC.
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The Cardinals have faced two top-25 teams this season and outscored them 2-1.
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Defending the nest is part of wearing the red and black uniforms, and the Cards have done so by tying for the fourth most shutouts in the country this season (4) and allowing only five goals from 78 opponent shot attempts.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
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HCU sits at a 5-2 record in the OVC, winning their most recent matchup against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) 1-0.
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The Huskies have tied and won their last six matches against the Cardinals (3-0-3).
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Ryan Okerayi leads the Huskies in goals this season with five and has scored in the last four consecutive games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
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The OVC honored two UIW Cardinals with Player of the Week awards in Alejandro De La Torre and Juan Monrreal last week for their performances versus Southern Methodist University (SMU) and UTRGV.
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Monrreal is a freshman who's only logged 60 minutes before his performance against UTRGV. While the Cardinals were down 1-0, the young forward generated two points by scoring and assisting a goal to lead his team to victory.
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Inside the NCAA's top-10 amount of goalkeeper saves is graduate student De La Torre, with 39 in eight games. He has the second highest save percentage in the country (88.6%), including goalies who've played with 700 minutes or more.
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UIW's top scorers this season both share a last name in Noe Robles and Diego Robles, who have two goals on the season. Collectively, they've generated 25 shot attempts with 13 on target this season.
FOLLOW ALONG
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook. Follow the team on Twitter and Instagram @UIWMensSoccer.
--UIW CARDINALS--
