RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's soccer team defeated the St. Mary's Rattlers 2-1 on Saturday in an exhibition match at Brownsville Veterans Memorial High School.
 
The exhibition match with St. Mary's marked the third straight year the two programs played in Brownsville. The atmosphere was good as the crowd got to see some student-athletes from the Rio Grande Valley play. 
 
The Vaqueros love to play in Brownsville and they have made a point to do so every season.
 
"It was a great crowd tonight. The energy was really good," UTRGV Head Coach Bryheem Hancock said. "It was exciting to have youth teams out here and be involved in the intros. Those are meaningful moments you don't get back. This place is beautiful. The weather was perfect the guys couldn't ask for anything better."
 
The match allowed the Vaqueros to leave their mark in the lower Rio Grande Valley and for some it's an opportunity to play in front of a home crowd.
 
The Vaqueros applied the pressure in the first half dominating possession and the defense didn't allow a shot on goal. The match saw the Vaqueros not use a sub in the first half as they continue to get their legs ready for the regular season.
 
"We are in week two now," Hancock said. "Seeing it all together with new guys getting in and getting them up to speed. We had quality depth come in and we made changes in the second half and those guys stepped up. We expect that from the group. Whoever was on the field gave maximum effort and that was good to see."
 
The Vaqueros will open their regular season on Aug. 24 when they travel to Dallas to face #19 SMU at 8 p.m.

Support UTRGV Men's Soccer | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube