Early Wednesday morning, the Celt's men's soccer team set out on a 10-hour bus ride to Alpine, Texas, to play NCAA D2 opponent Sul Ross State. Another 6-hour bus trip from Alpine to Abilene to face Hardin-Simmons proved too much to overcome. The Cowboys also did their part to stifle the Celts, and UST never seemed to be able to get going during the toughest travel trip of the season. St. Thomas struck first and early with a 9th-minute goal by freshman Hani Ahmadie. Ahmadie found the back of the net off an assist from Daniel Castro. However, UST could not hold the lead long, and the Cowboys responded with an equalizing goal of their own in the 24th minute with a goal from Daniel Villagomez, resulting in a tie heading into halftime.

Hardin-Simmons increased the pressure in the second half and took the lead in the 54th minute when James Webb scored a second goal. The Celts remained determined and kept the pressure on with a key shot that came close to tying the game. They continued to push, but the equalizer remained out of reach, resulting in a 2-1 Hardin-Simmons victory.

Match Notes

· It was Ahmadie's 2nd goal of the season.

· Hardin-Simmons outshot the Celts 25-11.

· The Cowboys held a 9-3 advantage in Corner Kicks.

Up Next

The Celts return to Houston before traveling to Belton, TX for their next matchup on Wednesday September 25th, when they face the University Mary Hardin-Baylor at 7:30 PM. Stay up to date by visiting www.ustcelts.com or follow @USTathletics and @ustmsoccer on Instagram.