ENMU Comes up Just Short in First Conference Game
Greyhounds Fall in Waning Moments, 1-0

SAN ANTONIO — The Eastern New Mexico University men’s soccer team put up a hard-fought effort, but lost in the program’s first Southwest Soccer Conference matchup, falling to St. Mary’s (Texas) 1-0.

The game remained scoreless until the 89th minute, when the Greyhounds (2-2-1 overall, 0-1-0 SSC) were unable to clear the ball out of the defensive zone. SMU’s Scott Kilpatrick brought the ball in on goalkeeper Leif Craddock, (So., Amarillo, TX/West Texas A&M University) who was able to knock the ball away initially. But Kilpatrick picked the ball out of the air and flicked it past the helpless netminder.

“Defensively, we played our best game, but we had a few opportunities on the net and we didn’t convert when we should have,” Assistant Coach Carlos Elizondo said. “It was a pretty even game, and our defense held them for most of the game.”

The Greyhounds outshot the Rattlers 15-14 in the contest, earning seven corners, but netminder Allen Perkins would not break, and ENMU was shut out for the second consecutive contest. Each team put five shots on goal.

Joey Ongaga (Fr., F, Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad HS) was given a yellow card in the 59th minute, and Tony Presenza of SMU received a caution in the 70th minute.

The Greyhounds have another conference match on the road on Sunday, when they face off against the University of the Incarnate Word at 1:30 p.m. MDT. ENMU has its first home contest on Friday, Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. against St. Edward’s University on the ENMU Soccer Field.