RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's soccer team will host Houston Christian (HCU) and UIW in their first Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) weekend at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
 
Last Time Out
 
UTRGV battled Lindenwood, the reigning OVC regular season and tournament champions, to a scoreless draw on Saturday to open their inaugural season in the OVC.
 
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.
 
Alongside Knight, 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 anchored the backline and was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Week for his honors.
 
Offensively, freshman Mauricio Arreguin led the charge for the Vaqueros, tallying two shots, both on goal. Alongside Arreguin, junior Alvaro Abeal and senior Malang Mandiang each put a shot on frame in the match. Arreguin and Abeal both recorded career-high marks in shots and shots on goal in the match.
 
Team Trends and Notes
 
The Vaqueros have tallied more points in the 2026 season (7) than it did in the 2025 season (5) as an NCAA DI Independent.
 
UTRGV is currently tied-for-fourth in the OVC through one match and will take on the tied-for-first HCU Huskies on Thursday.
 
The Vaqueros earned their first points in conference play since Nov. 3, 2024, a scoreless draw at San Jose State.
 
HCU – Oct. 1, 6:30 p.m. – UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex
 
UTRGV is 10-11-1 all-time against the Huskies with its last win coming at home in 2022, a 3-0 shutout. HCU has earned 1-0 wins in the last two matchups, one on the road and one at home in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
 
The Huskies are 3-4-2 this season with wins over Grand Canyon, UMass Lowell, and UIW. HCU won its last matchup, a 2-1 win over UIW in the OVC opener and fought to draws against Cal State Northridge and Oral Roberts on the road.
 
HCU has scored eight goals this season and allowed 16 total goals across nine games as compared to UTRGV's 10 goals scored and eight goals allowed in eight matches.
 
Leading the charge for HCU is Ryan Okerayi who was honored as one of 28 forwards on the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Div. I Men's Players to Watch. Okerayi has scored three goals and assisted on two goals this season.
 
UIW – Oct. 4, 11 a.m. – UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex
 
UTRGV has an 11-7-1 record all-time against the Cardinals with its last win at UIW in 2024, a 3-0 shutout. The Cardinals have taken the last two matchups with 2-1 wins in both 2024 and 2025, respectively.
 
The Cardinals are 1-5-1 this season with their lone win coming against Our Lady of the Lake 3-1 on Sept. 4. Against NCAA Div. I competition, the Cardinals are 0-5-1 with their lone draw coming against UMass Lowell.
 
The Cardinals are led by Diego Robles who leads the team in goals (2) and points (4) this season. Alongside Robles, the Cardinals have had five different goal scorers.
 
The Cardinals have had two split time in goal with Victor Salmeron earning the start in the last four matches, accumulating 18 saves with a 0.667 save percentage and a 1-3-0 record.
 
All matches at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex are free and open to the public. Gates will open one hour before the scheduled kickoff time.
 
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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