SEGUIN, TEXAS (Sept. 5, 2011) -- Our Lady of the Lake University's (OLLU) men's soccer team celebrated Labor Day with a 5-1 win in Seguin against NCAA Division III Texas Lutheran University (TLU).


The game was the fifth meeting between the two teams that began in 2007 when OLLU kicked off its inaugural season in men's soccer. Back then, current assistant coach Arthur Salazar led the Saints at the goal keeper position, while his little brother, Eddie Salazar, led the TLU Bulldogs as head coach. In the teams' first two competitions in 2007 and 2008, the games ended in a 1-1 and 0-0 tie respectively. The following two years, the Saints beat the Bulldogs by a one-point margin, 3-2 and 2-1. This year's win marks the largest margin of victory for the Saints against their IH10 rival.


The win improves the Saints record to 2-2, while Texas Lutheran drops to 0-3.

The game started choppy for the two teams as each were called offside several times within the first 19 minutes of the game. Junior Aaron Guerrero put the first point on the board on a 10-yard kick from the top of the box after a pass from junior midfielder Ramiro Ramirez. Six minutes later, freshman Oscar Valencia found the net after senior David Bazan snuck the ball past a Bulldog defender.

A penalty kick for the Bulldogs proved successful as Andrew Latiolais tricked Saints goalkeeper Nick Garza for the goal.

Freshman Steven Ybarra takes the ball down the field during the Texas Lutheran game.

A late-minute threat came from TLU's Gabriel Sosa, but the shot on goal was saved by Garza to end the half with the Saints up 2-1.

The Saints wasted little time to put their third goal on the board when Ramirez  launched a shot from the middle after an assist from Guerrero to take the 3-1 lead. At the 55th minute, Yared Temesgen went wide, and as TLU goalkeeper Michael Roeli dove right, Temesgen's shot snuck by to find the net to give the Saints the 4-1 lead.

Roeli, who left the game with five saves for TLU, was substituted by Brandon Reyes. Immediately, Reyes recorded two saves for his team, but several offside calls kept both teams from getting close to scoring for most of the last 20 minutes of the game.

After an offside call on the Bulldogs at the 84th minute, freshman center midfielder Marcelo Chapa took advantage of the Saints' momentum to drive  the ball down the field and kick a pass to freshman Javier Lopez for the Saints' fifth and final goal.

Saints goal keeper Garza recorded three saves for the Saints, and during the second half, no real threats came for senior goal keeper Marco Herrera, who recorded no saves.

Both Steven Salinas and Ramirez each had three shots, while Temesgen, Guerrero and Valencia each finished with two. The Bulldogs' Latiolais ended the game with two shots, one of which was on goal.

The Saints will travel to Austin to play Mid-America Christian University on the campus of Huston-Tillotson University on Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. On Sept. 13 at 5 p.m., the men will play a scrimmage game against Coastal Bend College at home.