By Alan Wiederhold
HT Athletic Communications
SEGUIN, Texas – Huston-Tillotson men's soccer team extended its own, less-acrimonious Counter-Reformation on Tuesday as the Rams claimed a 3-1 victory at Texas Lutheran.
Manuel "Lito" Guevara (Del Valle, Texas / Del Valle) scored two goals, including the match-winner to lead the visiting Rams (2-2) to their second victory over an NCAA Division III opponent in as many tries.
Trenton Fannin (Indianapolis, Ind. / Round Rock [Texas] Cedar Ridge) added a penalty kick goal late to secure HT's win.
The Rams outshot TLU 21-8 but only put a third of their shots on target. Only a few shots on goal were needed, however, as HT's starting defense of
Caden Cornwell (Cedar Park, Texas / Vista Ridge),
Oscar Gonzalez Jr. (Taylor, Texas / Taylor),
Christian Leon (Pasadena, Texas / Pasadena), and
Hank Sullins (Austin, Texas / Crockett) allowed few quality scoring opportunities to the Bulldogs.
Freshman goalkeeper
Luke Phillips (Liberty Hill, Texas / Liberty Hill) made three saves in goal to earn his second collegiate victory. HT's back lines helped ensure that TLU's on-target shots were mostly routine for Phillips.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a goal from Luis Briseno; C.J. Mikahil provided the assist to Briseno's strike that brought Bulldog fans at TLU's Gustafson Field to their feet.
Guevara gave the Rams an equalizer shortly before halftime with his 43rd-minute free kick from 21 yards out. Early in the second half, the freshman from Del Valle scored his second of the match (and third of his collegiate career) by dribbling through several defenders in TLU's penalty area and scoring a quality strike from 12 yards away.
The HT lead held for the remainder of the match; Fannin's penalty kick in the 85th minute following a TLU yellow card gave the Rams an insurance goal. It was the sophomore's first goal of the season and second penalty kick goal of his HT career.
The Rams return to action Friday when they visit Arlington Baptist alongside the HT's women's soccer team for a doubleheader against the Patriots. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
NOTEWORTHY:
• Guevara recorded the Rams' first individual, multiple-goal performance since
Albright Wesley Suh's hat trick in a 3-1 home win over Southwest (N.M.) last season.
• HT completed a friendlier Inquisition of Lutherans in 2025 with the win as the Rams posted an identical 3-1 win at Concordia Texas in August. Concordia (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod) and Texas Lutheran (Evangelical Lutheran in Church in America) are the only two Lutheran institutions of higher learning in Texas.
• If the ecumenical references are not esoteric enough for readers, the Rams first four matches of the season were all against teams that competed in the NAIA-affiliated Heart of Texas Conference before it dissolved in 1999. Concordia, TLU, St. Edward's (currently in the NCAA's Division II) and Texas Wesleyan (NAIA) made up two-thirds of the schools in the Heart of Texas Conference's final season, alongside San Antonio institutions the University of the Incarnate Word and St. Mary's University.
– HT –
