RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's soccer team will visit the reigning Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) champions, Lindenwood Lions (LU), on Thursday and host the Eastern Illinois (EIU) Panthers on Sunday.
 
Last Time Out
 
UTRGV fell on the road to the UIW Cardinals 2-1 Sunday. The match originally scheduled to be a home match for the Vaqueros was moved to San Antonio due to expected inclement weather in the Rio Grande Valley on Friday, Oct. 2.
 
The Vaqueros (2-3-2, 0-1-1 OVC) struck first in the 37^th minute as freshman Victor van der Aa scored his first career goal off a corner kick delivered by senior Malang Mandiang. Mandiang now leads the Vaqueros in assists after notching his third of the season.
 
Lindenwood – Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m. – Hunter Stadium – St. Louis, Mo.
 
UTRGV is 1-0-2 all-time against Lindenwood in a series dating back to 2024. The Vaqueros won the first matchup 3-1 at Lindenwood in 2024 and battled to a 0-0 draw in Edinburg in 2025. Earlier this season, the two squads battled to a 0-0 draw in Edinburg.
 
In that matchup, The Vaqueros relied on sophomore goalkeeper Conrad Knight, who notched his second clean sheet of the season while recording three saves. He helped UTRGV shut down a potent Lions offense that entered the match averaging 1.75 goals per game this season.
 
In addition, the stout backline of junior Tobias Buch, sophomore Emmanuel Gore Bi, and freshman Victor van der Aa played the entire 90 minutes in the shutout. Buch was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Week following the match after helping limit Lindenwood to eight shots, including three on goal.
 
Since then, the Lions defeated a home win over UIW before playing HCU to a 1-1 draw, improving to 1-0-2 in OVC play.
 
Fans can watch live on ESPN+ or follow along through live stats.
 
Eastern Illinois – Oct. 11, 11 a.m. – UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex
 
UTRGV will face the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) Panthers for the first time in program history Sunday at UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
 
The Panthers enter the weekend with a 3-5-2 overall record and a 2-1 record in OVC play. EIU enters the weekend on a two-match win streak with wins over Southern Indiana and SIUE. The Panthers' lone loss in OVC play came at home to Western Illinois.
 
The Panthers are led by senior Sergej Misic and junior Keidin Green who have scored five goals apiece. Misic has also recorded two assists while Green has assisted on one goal this season.
 
The Panthers have used three goalkeepers this season, with junior Kai Odagiri leading the group with 450 minutes in goal. Odagiri is 3-2 with 22 saves.
 
All matches at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex are free and open to the public. Gates will open at 10 a.m.
 
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 via Southland International. Fans can also follow along through live stats.
 
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