MEN'S SOCCER: UT-Dallas defeats LeTourneau 3-0 in opening round of ASC tourney
By Alan Wiederhold
Sports Information Director
LeTourneau University
TYLER, Texas – Texas-Dallas scored two second-half goals to pull away from the LeTourneau YellowJackets as the Comets secured a 3-0 triumph Friday in the opening round of the American Southwest Conference postseason tournament at UT Tyler.
Travis White netted the match-winner for the Comets four minutes after the opening whistle, placing a tricky shot into the lower right-hand corner of the goal from 14 yards out. Brian Shiba and Eric Holland netted goals in the second half.
The Comets (13-3-2) will face the tournament's No. 2 seed Hardin-Simmons on Saturday.
Playing in their first ASC Tournament since 2005, the Jackets enjoyed a de facto home match as approximately 100 fans – LeTourneau students, faculty, staff and families – made the short trip to UT Tyler's campus where they were treated to hard-fought and valiant performance by the Jackets.
The extremely physical match featured 33 fouls, 21 of which were whistled against the Comets.
The YellowJackets limited UT-Dallas' opportunities in the opening period after ceding the opening goal. The Comets had several opportunities on the offensive end (for the game, UT-Dallas took 13 corner kicks), but couldn't build upon their lead.
LeTourneau also enjoyed a small momentum swing late in the first half when a penalty kick awarded to Holland sailed high over the crossbar.
UT-Dallas went ahead in the second half when Shiba converted a corner kick in the 65th minute.
Friday's contest marked the final collegiate match for five LeTourneau seniors, all of whom were four-year letterwinners. Goalkeeper Kyle Davis and strikers Trey McLaughlin and Dillon Holt were all named to the All-ASC Teams during their careers, while midfielder Ben Stoeckmann and Patrick Thompson received Honorable Mention from the conference.
Holt concludes his career as LeTourneau's NCAA-era leader in goals scored with 43. Last season he was the recipient of the ASC's Offensive Player of the Year award and was an All-NCAA Division III West Region selection.
Davis' 30 wins is the most by a Jacket goalkeeper in the NCAA era. Holt ranks in the LeTourneau's Top Ten all-time in goals and points and Stoeckmann ranks sixth in school history with 22 assists.
McLaughlin scored 13 goals during his four-year career and was an All-ASC Second Team selection in 2009. Thompson was a three-year captain for the YellowJackets and led all LETU field players in minutes played in 2010 and 2011.
