PORTALES, N.M. – No. 23 Eastern New Mexico men's soccer will look to capture its first Lone Star Conference victory this weekend as they travel to UT Tyler on Saturday for a 6 p.m. matchup inside Citizens 1^st Bank-Perkins Soccer Complex.
 
LAST WEEK
 
Following its best start in program history and a record setting six-straight wins the Eastern New Mexico men's soccer team suffered its first set back of 2019 with a 1-3 road loss to #4 West Texas A&M before salvaging its weekend with an impressive 5-2 victory over UT Permian Basin.
 
An early goal from senior Julian Trapp just over eight minutes into game one wasn't enough in the national top-10 match-up between the two arch-rivals. The Greyhounds were unable to record a shot in the second half as the Buffs negated the early Trapp goal with two goals over the span of just three minutes at the 13:22 and 16:09 mark of the first half. Trapp's goal at the 8:52 mark came off an assist from junior Charlie Hackshall and looked to be a picture-perfect start for the Hounds as they found the back of the net on the first attempt at goal for the match. West Texas A&M quickly took back control of the Lone Star Conference opener for both squads with three straight shots, two of which found their mark and flipped the one-goal advantage. Senior keeper Ross Dalton was outstanding following the two goals early in the first half, posting a season-high eight saves in net.
 
Sophomore defender Caio Pereira had a career day against UTPB as he netted a pair of goals, scoring first at the 11:55 mark and then again in the 55th minute. The Falcons would come back to tie the match on two separate occasions but three unanswered Greyhound goals carried the Green and Silver to their seventh win of 2019. Pereira scored the match's first goal when he intercepted a misplayed ball from UTPB and capitalized on the Falcon's defensive miscue as he buried the ball in the bottom left corner.  The Falcons tied the game at 1-1 two minutes later as midfielder Joel Hope sent a well-placed shot into the back of the net following a free kick just outside the box. At the 23:23 mark the Hounds benefited from another defensive lapse, this time from the Falcons keeper, as sophomore forward Joe Conway stole the ball and scored his second goal of the year. With the match tied at 2-2, Conway drew a foul three yards outside the box as the Hounds where awarded a free kick. Junior defender Robbie Jenkinson took the set piece and deposited the ball into the top right corner giving the Hounds a lead they would never relinquish. ENMU took over in the second half as they controlled the pace of play and out-shot the Falcons 6-3. Pereira would add an insurance goal at the 55:23 mark following some spectacular passing and unselfish play from the Hounds.
 
Scouting the Patriots
 
Winners of five straight, the Patriots are currently the hottest team in the Lone Star Conference following a convincing 6-0 victory over Southwestern Assemblies of God and a 2-1 overtime win over DBU last week.
 
UTT holds the highest scoring margin in the league at 2.00 after scoring 16 goals while relinquishing four. The Patriots rank below only ENMU in goals scored and their 41 total points is the fifth-highest mark in the LSC.
 
Head Coach Kenny Jones is the only coach the UT Tyler men's soccer program has ever known and has compiled and impressive 221-91-41 overall record. Jones is a six-time American Southwest Conference champion and five-time ASC Coach of the Year while leading the Patriots to double-digit wins in all but one of his 20 seasons.
 
Tyler boasts a well-balanced offense, getting production from a multitude of sources as eleven field players have recorded at least one goal. Leading the way is senior midfielder Steven Chaves who has tallied a team-high seven points on three goals and an assist.
 
The Patriots return several key pieces in their backline including 2018 All-ASC Second Team selection Travis Collins and 2018 ASC Defensive Freshman of the Year Noah Kubala. Collins is second on the team with 323 minutes played while Kubala has logged 256 minutes, with each responsible for a goal scored
 
Senior goalkeeper Parker O'Quinn is one of the best in the conference and has the second-highest save percentage (.844), fourth-lowest goals against average (918) and is tied for fifth in total saves (21) amongst LSC competitors.
 
2019 Story Lines
 
The Green and Silver have appeared to be in spectacular form after finishing their non-conference schedule with a perfect 6-0-0 record while posting a 7-1-0 overall mark. ENMU fields one of the best defenses in the country as its four shutouts are tied four the twelfth-most and its .837 save percentage ranks 20th in the nation. The Hounds have also recorded 18 goals on the year which is tied for 22nd in Division II men's soccer.
 
Taking Notice
 
Despite suffering its first loss last week, the Hounds are recognized as one of the best teams in the country and currently sit at No. 23 in the fourth weekly United Soccer Coaches National Poll.
 
Conference Leaders

The Greyhounds boast a well-balanced squad, and rank in the top five of most major offensive and defensive categories across the conference. Offensively, ENMU leads the LSC with 49 points, 18 goals and 13 assists while ranking fourth with 91 shots. On the defensive side of the ball the Hounds are second in total save (36), third in saves per game (4.5) and shutouts (4) with the fourth lowest goals against average (.88).
 
Eastern also fields some of the best individual players in the Lone Star including Hackshall and Dalton. Hackshall not only leads the conference but is tied for a nation-high six assists. Hackshall has also recorded a goal and his eight points are tied for the third highest mark in the league. Dalton leads the conference with four shutouts and ranks second in saves with 36 and third with a .867 goals against average.
 
ENMU Record Books
 
Only six games into the 2019 season and the Hounds are already making their way into the all-time single-season record books. The squad's four shutouts are tied for the fifth most and are just one shy of tying the record currently set by the 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2016 teams. The 2019 team also moves into a tie for the seventh-most wins in a single-season with seven and own the record for most consecutive victories all-time. The Hounds are averaging the third-most goals (2.25/g) and points (6.13/g) while averaging the sixth-most assists (1.63/g) in the 16-year history of the program.
 
Individually, Ross Dalton is quickly establishing himself as one of the best keepers to put on a Greyhound jersey as he is one shutout and two wins away from tying the program's single-season record in each category.
 
Hounds on the Road
 
In true road games this season the Hounds have produced a 3-1-0 record. ENMU began the year with a 2-0 road win over then ranked No. 17 Colorado Mesa beating the Mavericks in dominant fashion before traveling to Trailblazer Stadium and taking a 2-1 overtime victory over Dixie State. The Green and Silver did not allow a single shot on goal and earned a 1-0 shutout over the University of Mary on Sept. 19. Last week the Hounds netted the match's first goal but eventually fell to No. 4 West Texas A&M 1-3.