By Alan Wiederhold
HT Athletic Communications
 
FORT WORTH, Texas – Huston-Tillotson University's men's soccer team was fleeced of its first win of the season Tuesday as Texas Wesleyan netted a late goal to salvage a 2-2 draw.
 
In a battle of two NAIA men's soccer programs in Texas that share the "Rams" nickname – and are both affiliated with the United Methodist Church – Texas Wesleyan saved its collective mutton with the match-tying goal in the 90th minute, officially 42 seconds before the final whistle.
 
The draw was the fourth of the season for Huston-Tillotson (0-3-4), which got first-half goals from Anthony Villegas Palacios (Austin / Johnson) and Daniel Cerda (Del Valle, Texas / Del Valle). Villegas opened the scoring less than two minutes after the opening whistle with his first collegiate goal, while Cerda scored his team-leading third goal in the 12th minute.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Luke Phillips (Liberty Hill, Texas / Liberty Hill) made seven saves en route to his third individual draw of the season.
 
After a sheepish first half for the home side, Texas Wesleyan (0-3-2) outshot HT 7-0 in the second half and enjoyed a 5-0 advantage on corner kicks after halftime. The host Rams cut the visitors' 2-0 lead in half in the 64th minute with goal from Nestor Salazar.
 
Nicholas Duderstadt netted the tying goal in the final minute for Texas Wesleyan, which had a one-man advantage the final four minutes of the game after an HT red card.
 
Huston-Tillotson's Rams return to action Sunday afternoon when they host Texas College in the second match of a doubleheader with HT's women's team. The men's game is scheduled for 1 p.m., and will kickoff shortly after the conclusion of the women's game.
 
– HT –