On Sunday, SIUE and UIW picked up wins while Eastern Illinois, UTRGV, Lindenwood and Western Illinois earned draws.
EDINBURG, Texas - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's soccer snapped their two-match losing streak with a 1-1 draw against the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) Panthers in an Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) match Sunday at UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
The Vaqueros (2-4-3, 0-2-2 OVC) took the lead in the 48th minute off of a header from sophomore Emmanuel Gore Bi. Senior Mouhamed Pouye and junior Sammy Jadid assisted on the goal. Gore Bi scored his second goal of the season while both Jadid and Pouye notched their second assists of the season.
The Panthers (3-6-3, 2-2-1 OVC) knotted the match two minutes later when Sergej Misic launched a solid strike from 30 yards just over the fully-extended arms of UTRGV goalkeeper Conrad Knight.
The first half was an aggressive, defensive battle as neither team could operate much in the final third. The teams took a combined eight shots with only three on goal.
The Vaqueros lone opportunity came in the 21st minute as junior Alvaro Abeal created some space but the shot was corralled by EIU goalkeeper Kai Odagiri.
The second half started with some aggression as the Panthers were assessed two yellow cards within the first two minutes. The second yellow card awarded a free kick for senior Malang Mandiang.
Mandiang played the free kick to Pouye, who delivered a cross to the far post. Jadid lifted a centering pass to Gore Bi, who headed it past Odagiri for the 1-0 lead.
The Panthers responded with a deep strike just two minutes later. The two teams scattered a combined 14 shots in the second half.
The Vaqueros created a golden opportunity in the 67th minute as a penalty was assessed after EIU's Andre Ecker attempted a slide tackle but made contact with Jadid inside the box.
Pouye lined up for the penalty kick which was saved by the diving Odagiri. Pouye recovered the loose ball and attempted another shot, but a diving EIU defender blocked the effort. Freshman Mauricio Arreguin tried to finish the opportunity but just missed the net, resulting in a goal kick for EIU.
The Vaqueros created one last opportunity in the waning minutes but the late shot from junior Elias Taj sailed over the net, sealing the 1-1 draw.
In the match, EIU outshot UTRGV 15-11 with a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal. The Panthers also generated eight corner kicks to the Vaqueros three.
Knight was solid in goal for UTRGV, recording five saves, two shy of his previous career-high and the most he's recorded since Sept. 18 at Air Force. Meanwhile, Odagiri recorded three saves.
SIUE 2, HCU 1
HOUSTON - Ryley Gibbs scored a goal and added an assist as SIUE men's soccer picked up its first victory of the year, winning 2-1 Sunday at Houston Christian.
SIUE improved to 3-1-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference and 5-5-2 overall. HCU dropped to 1-1-2 in the league and 3-5-4 overall.
Gibbs' team-leading fifth goal of the year gave SIUE a 1-0 lead going to halftime. The goal came in the 24th minute on an assist by Elliot Forestier. The Cougars doubled its lead in the 67th minute when Mathias Clausen scored his first goal of the year with an assist from Gibbs.
HCU got a goal back in the 73rd minute on Leo Makatta's first goal of the year for the Huskies.
Houston Christian outshot SIUE 16-6 but managed just two shots on goal. Cougars' goalkeeper Brady Cochrane made a single save in picking up the win. HCU goalkeeper Harvey Heeps made one save also.
UIW 4, SOUTHERN INDIANA 2
SAN ANTONIO - Down two goals in the first half, the University of the Incarnate Word men's soccer team (3-6-2, 2-2-1 OVC) rallied to score four answered goals and defeat Southern Indiana (1-7- 4, 1-3 -1 OVC), 4-2, on Sunday afternoon at Benson Stadium. Diego Robles netted three goals on his way to his first career hat trick and led the Cardinals' comeback.
Southern Indiana struck first just eight minutes into the match to take an early lead. UIW created opportunities of its own but was unable to capitalize before the Eagles doubled their advantage in the 25th minute.
The Cardinals responded four minutes later when Reagan Gyedu found the back of the net on a rebound from Robles' initial shot, cutting the deficit to 2-1 heading into halftime.
Continuing to battle back from the early deficit, the Cardinals earned a penalty kick after Evan Kraenzel played a through ball to Diego Robles, who drew a foul in the box. For the second consecutive game, Robles converted from the spot for the equalizer.
In the 76th minute, a handball in the box awarded UIW another penalty kick. Robles stepped up once again, connecting on the opportunity, giving Incarnate Word its first lead of the match at 3-2. Ten minutes later, another penalty kick gave Robles the opportunity to complete his hat trick, which he converted to seal the 4-2 victory and establish a new career high in goals.
Robles led the way with nine shots, all on goal, while Gyedu and Knox Hicks recorded two shots apiece. As a whole, the Cardinals outshot Southern Indiana, 20-to-15.
LINDENWOOD 1, WESTERN ILLINOIS 1
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Lindenwood Men's Soccer team (5-2-6, 2-0-3 OVC) played to a 1-1 draw against Western Illinois on Sunday afternoon. Both teams found the back of the net in the second half as the Lions earned their ninth conference point of the 2026 season.
Western Illinois recorded two shots in the opening 10 minutes of the contest, but neither attempt was on target as the Leathernecks applied early pressure to the Lindenwood defense. The Lions settled in defensively, limiting WIU to just three additional shots for the remainder of the first half while recording six shots of their own and created a few scoring opportunities late in the opening half.
In the 26th minute, David Magalhaes fired a shot on target from just outside the box that was headed toward the top of the goal, but the WIU goalkeeper got a hand on the attempt and tipped it over the crossbar for a Lindenwood corner kick.
The Lions earned four corner kicks in the opening 45 minutes but were unable to capitalize on their set piece opportunities. In the final minute of the half, Ethan Walls attempted a header off a headed pass from Clement Baron following a throw in from Luke Neely, but his attempt sailed wide of the left post as the teams entered halftime scoreless.
Lindenwood struck first 10 minutes into the second half when Neely and Baron connected on a throw in to give the Lions a 1-0 lead with 35 minutes remaining. Neely delivered a long throw in pass toward the top of the box, where Baron used his head to direct the ball into the bottom right corner of the net for his second goal of the season.
The Lions' defense continued to hold firm over the next 25 minutes, allowing just two shot attempts, including one on target that was saved by Quinn Closson. However, with less than three minutes remaining in the match, Lindenwood committed a foul in the box that awarded Western Illinois a penalty kick. The Leathernecks converted on the attempt to equalize the score late as the match would end in a 1-1 draw. Lindenwood outshot Western Illinois 14-8 and were led by Thato Lekgetho, who recorded three shots in the contest.