AUSTIN - Mario Ribera scored five goals, including the clincher is Sunday's 1-0 championship victory over the host team, to crown the University of Texas-Pan American Broncs winners of the St. Edward's University Soccer Tournament.

Ribera, a freshman from Bolivia, was nominated for Performer of the Week in the Sun Belt Conference.

Jorge Cavazos, Broncs senior from Reynosa, Mexico, was named Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. Coach Eloy Moran three the MVP selection open to a vote of his players after St. Edward's tournament officials said the champions deserved the MVP award.

"St. Edward's gave us the MVP because we won the tournament," Moran said. "I just got the players to vote on it."

"Cavazos is the team captain and he kept everybody together. He tells them what to do and where to go. He's the coach on the team. He knows how to talk to them without being negative. He plays stopper, or defender."

Goalie Albert Flores, a newcomer from Corpus Christi who's trying to fill the net vacated by All-Sun Belt Conference goalie Freddie Sanguinetti, got off to a good start in this difficult quest.

Flores allowed just one goal in 235 minutes and "the goal wasn't his fault," Coach Moran said. The goal came in a 10-1 victory over College of the Southwest from New Mexico, when the Broncs failed to stop a 40-yard direct kick play and the secondary receiver scored.

Victor Ramos, who assisted Ribera's lone goal Sunday, scored three goals and that one big assist during the three-game opening sweep. Rafael Cardenas also contributed three goals and an assist. The Broncs won their opener in Austin over Hardin-Simmons, 5-0.

"The team played excellent defense, with superb midfield pursuit," Moran said. "They had a very high work-rate, which I really liked. It was a team effort."

"It rained Sunday and it didn't help our game. The ground was real wet, which didn't help our team on the ground," Moran added.

The Broncs drew eight yellow-card warnings in the tournament plus one red card, when Ribera was ejected in the final five minutes of the championship game. "He went on a slide tackle trying to get the ball from behind and they call it a foul but it wasn't intentional," Moran said.

Next action for the Broncs will be at the West Texas State University Tournament in Canyon this Saturday and Sunday. They don't play at home until Oct. 14 against St. Edward's.