After traveling to Alpine and Abilene last weekend, the Celts were back on the road yesterday. They headed to Belton, TX, for another tough match against the University of Mary Hardin Baylor. Thankfully, the result was better this time as St. Thomas secured a 2-1 victory over the Crusaders.

The first half saw an aggressive, offensive push from both the Crusaders and the Celts, with both teams pushing the pace. The Celts came out focused from the opening kick and got another early goal. This time, it only took 11 minutes and 56 minutes for UST to find the goal and the early lead. Freshman Hani Ahamdie scored his 3^rd goal of the young season in the 12^th minute. However, the Crusaders kept the pressure on and responded only 8 minutes later when Karsen Macias scored a game-tying goal in the 20^th minute.  Both sides fought to control possession for the remainder of the half, but neither team could break the tie, and the half ended 1-1. Between the two teams, there were 15 shots attempted in the first 45 minutes, with the Crusaders taking 9 of them.

The intensity continued in the second half, but it wasn't until the 78^th minute when UST's Daniel Castro found the back of the net, putting the Celts up 2-1 with 12 minutes remaining. Mary Hardin Baylor had another 9 shot attempts in the 2^nd half, but Celts' Keeper Crysto Gayoso did not allow another ball to get by and finished the match with 8 saves. The match ended badly as 7 Yellows and 2 Reds were put in the book in the final 15 minutes. Fortunately, UST held on for the 2-1 win.

Match Notes

• UST was outshot 18-12 and 10-7 shots on goal
• Hani Ahmadie scored the third goal for the season
• Daniel Castro scored the game-winning goal and recorded the third goal for the season
• UST Goalkeeper Cristo Gayoso played 90 mins and recorded 8 saves

Up Next

The Celts hope to carry this momentum into their next match against defending SCAC Champion Colorado College when they travel to Colorado Springs this Friday. Kickoff is Saturday, September 28th, at 5 PM. Stay updated by visiting www.ustcelts.com or follow @USTathletics and @ustmsoccer on Instagram.