San Antonio, TX - The No. 5 nationally ranked Trinity Men's Soccer team (14-1-0) cruised to a 3-1 win over the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders (12-2-3) on a chilly and windy night at Paul McGinlay Field.

The Tigers came out flying and immediately seized control, racking up six first-half shots while pinning the Crusaders deep in their own half. UMHB, who are ranked No. 39 on the NCAA NPI, struggled to make any sustained inroads going forward, but their defensive block held firm, frustrating a talented Trinity attack. 

After halftime, Trinity's patience and control finally paid off. Sparked by a sharper tempo and quicker combinations in the attacking third, the Tigers began to turn their dominance of the ball into real danger. Yet, the visitors clung to their defensive setup, hoping to steal a result on the road. As the clock ticked past the 74-minute mark, it looked as though UMHB's resilience might just hold.

But the dam finally broke. In the 75th minute, the returning Alex Ramirez (Houston, Texas / Humble) produced a bit of magic on the left flank, creating space before whipping in a dangerous cross. The ball was cleared only as far as the top of the box, where captain Zachary Anderson (Davis, California / Davis) lay in wait. As it looped through the air, Anderson took two steps and, without hesitation, smashed a volley from outside the area into the right-hand corner of the net, sparking jubilant scenes on the sideline.

The Tigers didn't stop there. Just 26 seconds later, Adam Knutson (Dripping Springs, Texas / Dripping Springs) closed down the UMHB goalkeeper, won the ball off him, and drew a penalty. Up stepped Ramirez, who confidently strode to the spot and buried his effort into the top left corner to double the lead.

Trinity put the game to bed in the 86th minute when team "Unc" Julian Lopez (Austin, Texas / St. Stephen's Episcopal) was brought down in the box, earning a second penalty. He converted in style, coolly panenka-ing his shot down the middle to seal a 3-0 victory.

Mary Hardin-Baylor managed a late consolation in the 88th minute, but it proved too little, too late. The Trinity backline, anchored by a composed central defense, delivered another commanding performance, limiting clear chances and allowing just two shots on target all night to secure a hard-fought conference win. The Tigers outshot the Crusaders 17-9 and held a 9-1 advantage in corners, underscoring their control in possession and growing ruthlessness in front of goal.

Up Next

The Tigers have a short turnaround as they face off against the No. 14 Southwestern University Pirates (14-0-3) in the final SAA matchup of the regular season, on Saturday, November 1st at 8:00 p.m. The winner of the tie will be crowned the 2025 SAA regular-season champions as both sides enter the contest undefeated in SAA play at 6-0-0.