RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's soccer program is gearing up for a final postseason push in its final weekend of Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) play against UIW and HCU.
 
Last Time Out
 
The Vaqueros gained four points and jumped two spots in the OVC standings last week, rising from eighth to sixth and into postseason contention, after a draw against HCU and a win over Western Illinois (WIU) last week.
 
Against HCU, junior Elias Taj opened the scoring in the 10th minute before sophomore Sammy Jadid tacked on his third goal of the season to give UTRGV a 2-1 lead in the 51^st minute. Both goals for the Vaqueros were unassisted. HCU responded with a goal in the 73^rd to secure the 2-2 draw.
 
Then, on senior night on Saturday, the Vaqueros recorded their third shutout of the year, a 1-0 victory over the WIU Leathernecks.
 
Taj scored the game-winner, his team-leading second goal of the week and sixth of the season, off a penalty kick in the 22^nd minute. Sophomore Conrad Knight picked up his third shutout of the season, tallying three saves in the win.
 
For his efforts throughout the week, Knight was named the OVC Goalkeeper of the Week on Tuesday.
 
Postseason Push
 
The top six teams in the OVC standings at the end of the regular season will qualify for the OVC Men's Soccer Tournament, scheduled for Nov. 8-14 at Lindenwood's Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Mo.
 
UTRGV is now in sixth place after earning four points in the standings last week. The team's two wins and three draws have earned the Vaqueros nine points in the OVC standings.
 
Trailing the Vaqueros in a tie for seventh place are Southern Indiana (USI) and WIU with seven points in the OVC standings. UTRGV holds head-to-head victories over both Southern Indiana and Western Illinois.
 
The Vaqueros will close out the regular season against third-place UIW and fourth-place HCU, with an opportunity to secure their spot in the conference tournament.
 
UIW – Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m. – UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex
 
UTRGV will host the UIW Cardinals for its home finale on Thursday. The Vaqueros are 11-8-1 all-time against the Cardinals but dropped the most recent matchup earlier this year at UIW, 2-1.
 
The Vaqueros last win over the Cardinals came in 2023 when they won 3-0 at UIW, but UIW holds a three-match win streak which includes a win in Edinburg in 2024.
 
UIW is currently third in the OVC standings with a 5-7-2 overall record with a 4-3-1 record in conference play. UIW owns wins over UTRGV, USI, Eastern Illinois, and WIU this season and a draw with the top team in the conference, SIUE.
 
The match will feature two of the best goal scorers in the OVC with the UIW's Diego Robles leading the conference in goals scored with nine and UTRGV's Taj locked into a tie for fourth with six goals scored this season.
 
Meanwhile, UIW goalkeeper Victor Salmeron has recorded 52 saves and allowed 21 goals through 11 games. Salmeron has been active in goal, recording 4.73 saves per match.
 
The match will kick off at 6:30 p.m. at UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex. UTRGV Athletics has a clear bag policy for spectators attending all athletic events hosted by UTRGV. You can get all the details here.
 
Fans can watch live domestically on ESPN+ or internationally on Southland International. Fans can also follow along through live stats.
 
HCU – Nov. 1, 1:00 p.m. – Houston, Texas – Sorrels Field

The Vaqueros will close out the regular season with a road trip to HCU on Sunday. The Vaqueros are 10-11-2 all-time against the Huskies with the most recent matchup ending in a 2-2 draw on Oct. 21.
 
The Huskies are in fourth in the OVC standings and will host the Lindenwood Lions on Thursday prior to their second meeting with UTRGV. The Huskies took the two-game series against UIW and have a win over Western Illinois. The Huskies have also battled to draws against Lindenwood and Southern Indiana in OVC play this season.
 
HCU's Clarenns Sainrimat is coming off an explosive week offensively scoring three goals on three shots, including the game-tying knock against the Vaqueros. For his efforts, Sainrimat was named the OVC Offensive Player of the Week. 

Fans can watch live domestically on ESPN+ or follow along through live stats.

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