RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's soccer team will host the HCU Huskies on Thursday at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
 
Last Time Out
 
UTRGV battled Lindenwood, the reigning OVC regular season and tournament champions, to a scoreless draw on Saturday to open their inaugural season in the OVC.
 
The Vaqueros relied on sophomore goalkeeper Conrad Knight, who notched his second clean sheet of the season while recording three saves. He helped UTRGV shut down a potent Lions offense that entered the match averaging 1.75 goals per game this season.
 
Alongside Knight, the stout backline of junior Tobias Buch, sophomore Emmanuel Gore Bi, and freshman Victor van der Aa played the entire 90 minutes in the shutout. Buch anchored the backline and was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Week for his honors.
 
Offensively, freshman Mauricio Arreguin led the charge for the Vaqueros, tallying two shots, both on goal. Alongside Arreguin, junior Alvaro Abeal and senior Malang Mandiang each put a shot on frame in the match. Arreguin and Abeal both recorded career-high marks in shots and shots on goal in the match.
 
Team Trends and Notes
 
The Vaqueros have tallied more points in the 2026 season (7) than it did in the 2025 season (5) as an NCAA DI Independent.
 
UTRGV is currently tied-for-fourth in the OVC through one match and will take on the tied-for-first HCU Huskies on Thursday.
 
The Vaqueros earned their first point in conference play since Nov. 3, 2024, a scoreless draw at San Jose State.
 
HCU – Oct. 1, 6:30 p.m. – UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex
 
UTRGV is 10-11-1 all-time against the Huskies with its last win coming at home in 2022, a 3-0 shutout. HCU has earned 1-0 wins in the last two matchups, one on the road and one at home in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
 
The Huskies are 3-4-2 this season with wins over Grand Canyon, UMass Lowell, and UIW. HCU won its last matchup, a 2-1 win over UIW in the OVC opener and fought to draws against Cal State Northridge and Oral Roberts on the road.
 
HCU has scored eight goals this season and allowed 16 total goals across nine games as compared to UTRGV's 10 goals scored and eight goals allowed in eight matches.
 
Leading the charge for HCU is Ryan Okerayi who was honored as one of 28 forwards on the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Div. I Men's Players to Watch. Okerayi has scored three goals and assisted on two goals this season.
 
All matches at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex are free and open to the public. Gates will open one hour before the scheduled kickoff time.
 
UTRGV Athletics has a clear bag policy for spectators attending all athletic events hosted by UTRGV. You can get all the details here.
 
Fans can watch live domestically on ESPN+ or internationally via Southland International. Fans can also follow along through live stats.
 
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