Lions soccer team blanketed by rain, UHV, 3-0

Lions game shortened due to rain and darkness

VICTORIA, Texas -- The Southwestern Assemblies of God University men’s soccer team, needing some thunder on the field, had their game with the University of Houston at Victoria end in darkness instead.

Played in steady rain and interrupted by lightning, the contest was eventually called after 72 minutes due to a lack of sunlight. The host Jaguars, now 7-1, shutout SAGU 3-0. The Lions slipped to 2-3-2.

The only score of the game in the first 45 minutes was an own-goal, deflected off a Southwestern player, which appeared to be all that separated these fairly even squads.

After a lightning-induced delay, UH-Victoria scored a quick goal and added another in the closing minute before officials halted the game with nearly 20 minutes remaining. The result will stand as an official game.

“We made only a few mistakes,” said the Lions' first year head coach Gerald Nichols, “and they scored on each one. Otherwise, it was an evenly-played match.”

Both teams had three cornerkicks, often an indication of who is pressing the action. The physical play of UHV led them to being cited for 11 fouls, compared to eight against SAGU.

“They were a very physical team,” Nichols agreed. “There was a lot of grabbing, clutching, and pulling of our players’ uniforms, even some elbows. But much of it was allowed by the official. They did, however, play a very effective brand of defense.”

 The Jaguars, who have now shutout four straight teams and five during the season, have also outscored their opposition by a 23-3 count. UHV is an independent member of the NAIA. Currently, SAGU has scored 15 and yielded 16 goals.

The Lions best chances to score were on kicks by Danny Martinez (Houston, Tx / Cypress Creek HS), Manny Paz (Houston, Tx / Westfield HS) and Carlos Gonzalez (Los Angeles, Ca / Delta HS, Delta, Colo). The trio of playmakers has all been recently activated, and could give the Lions the scoring punch the team needs as they enter conference play.

This Week's SAGU Schedule

SAGU will start their 11-game season in the Red River Athletic Conference with a pair of away games this week. On Thursday, September 22, they play in nearby Cedar Hill against Northwood University. The Knights are 2-4 this season after going 8-10 last fall. Northwood blanked the Lions by a 2-0 verdict last season.

Next Saturday, Sept. 24, they will be at LSU-Shreveport for a 3pm match. The Pilots (1-4) have gotten off to a slow beginning this fall. LSUS went 9-7 in 2010, including a 3-0 besting of SAGU.

Contact: Mark “Link” Warde , Sports Information Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 469-658-2847.