TULSA, Okla. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's soccer team hits the road for a pair of matches this week, facing the Oral Roberts (ORU) Golden Eagles Tuesday at Case Soccer Complex in Tulsa, Okla., before taking on the Air Force Academy (AFA) Falcons Friday at Cadet Soccer Stadium in USAFA, Colo.
 
Last Time Out
 
The Vaqueros (2-0-1) are coming off a historic 5-0 win over the South Florida (USF) Bulls on Sept. 6.
 
Junior Elias Taj led the way for the Vaqueros, netting his first career brace and tallying two assists in the win. For his efforts, Taj was named the College Soccer News Offensive Player of the Week and named to the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week. He is the first Vaquero to earn national honors since the program restarted in 2015. Taj was also named the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Offensive Player of the Week.
 
Taj's performance etched him into the UTRGV single-match record books as he is now tied for seventh in points scored (6). Taj is the first Vaquero to enter the record books for points in a match since 2021, when Reshaun Wilkes tallied six points at Central Arkansas. Taj, Wilkes, and William Akio are the only Vaqueros to enter the record book for points scored in a match since the program restarted in 2015.
 
Alongside Taj, the Vaqueros received goals from fifth year captain Eduardo De Oliveira, sophomore Sammy Jadid, and senior Mouhamed Pouye. Senior Malang Mandiang tacked on two assists. Meanwhile, De Oliveira tallied an assist and freshman Victor van der Aa recorded his first career assist.
 
As a team, the Vaqueros notched 16 points, which is tied for seventh in program history and ranks first when facing NCAA DI opponents. The Vaqueros' six assists are also tied for fourth in program history and tied for first when facing NCAA DI opponents.
 
This is the first time the Vaqueros scored at least five goals in a match since Sept. 25, 2025 when they defeated Texas A&M International 6-1 and the first time against an NCAA DI opponent since their 5-1 victory over Air Force on Oct. 13, 2024.
 
Team Trends and Notes
 
UTRGV has tallied more points (7) through three matches than it did in the 2025 season (5) as an NCAA DI Independent. UTRGV is off to its best start (2-0-1) since the 2020-21 season and its best road start (2-0-0) since 1992.
 
The Vaqueros currently lead the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in winning percentage (.833). The only other team with a winning percentage over .500 is the reigning regular season and tournament champion, Lindenwood (.583).
 
This is UTRGV's first season in the OVC, joining Eastern Illinois, Houston Christian University, Lindenwood, SIUE, Southern Indiana, UIW, and Western Illinois, after spending the 2025 season as an NCAA DI Independent.
 
Oral Roberts – Sept. 15, 7:00 p.m. – Case Soccer Complex – Tulsa, Okla.
 
UTRGV is 3-6-1 all-time against ORU and dropped the most recent matchup, 2-1, in Edinburg in 2025. The Vaqueros last win over the Golden Eagles came in 1996.
 
Since the program restarted in 2015, the teams have met four times and UTRGV is 0-3-1. The 1-1 draw came in 2022 as the Vaqueros scored the equalizer in the 82^nd minute.
 
The Golden Eagles are 1-3-2 this season with their lone win coming in a 2-0 shutout against UC Riverside in their season opener. ORU is riding a three-match skid with one-goal losses at CSUN, Central Arkansas, and Drake.
 
The Golden Eagles feature a balanced attack with six different student-athletes having scored one goal this season. Leading the way in points is Roman Hemphill as he has recorded a team-high three assists.
 
Chance Anderson, Cameron Parma, and Aiden Ussery have played every minute of competition in the 2026 season. Parma is the only goalkeeper to play this season and has recorded 27 saves while allowing seven goals and boasting a .794 save percentage.
 
Fans can watch the match live on the Summit League Network or follow along through live stats.
 
Air Force – Sept. 18, 7:00 p.m. – Cadet Soccer Stadium – USAFA, Colo.
 
The former Western Athletic Conference foes are set to meet for the 13^th time in program history. The Vaqueros are 3-7-2 against the Falcons but won the most recent matchup, a dominant 5-1 showing, in 2024 at Cadet Soccer Stadium.
 
UTRGV's 5-1 victory in 2024 marked the last time the Vaqueros scored five goals against an NCAA DI opponent prior to their 5-0 win at South Florida on Sept. 6.
 
AFA is still searching for its first win, accumulating a 0-3-3 record so far this season. The Falcons have salvaged draws against Army, Marist, and Saint Mary's; meanwhile, they have dropped matches against San Francisco, UC Riverside, and UC San Diego.
 
Tucker Kern leads the way for the Falcons scoring two of the team's four goals this season. In goal this season, Hunter Anderson has tallied 30 saves and allowed eight goals across six matches. Anderson has also recorded a .789 save percentage with one shutout.
 
Fans can watch live on Mountain West+ or follow along through live stats.
 
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