A late-match goal spoiled an upset opportunity for the Blinn College men’s soccer team Tuesday, as No. 10 Angelina College rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Buccaneers at Rankin Field inside Hohlt Park in Brenham, Texas.
The Region XIV match was a tale of defense in the first half and an offensive exposition in the second as the teams played to a 0-0 stalemate for 52 minutes before erupting for five combined goals.
“It was a great game packed full of incident,” Blinn head coach Michael McBride said. “The lads poured a lot into the game, and I was proud of their endeavor. In the end, we were undone by a bit of quality and that ended up being the difference. This team continues to grow and I’m excited to see what we can achieve by the end of the season.”
(Pictured: Blinn College sophomore forward David Garcia)
After the Roadrunners ended the shutout with a goal in the 53rd minute, Blinn (11-5, 5-4 Region XIV) responded with a pair of quick strikes.
Sophomore forward David Garcia gathered an assist from sophomore midfielder Joshua Hernandez-Gutierrez and turned it into his 17th goal of the season. Garcia is now tied with former Buc Farit Ha (2018-19) for the most goals scored in a season.
Blinn would capitalize on its offensive momentum with a go-ahead score just 42 seconds later. Freshman defenders Isaac Rojas and Philipp Mokwa teamed up to deliver a pass to freshman forward Cesar Duran, who netted it for a 2-1 lead.
(Pictured: Blinn College freshman forward Cesar Duran)
Angelina answered in the 68th minute and finally took the lead for good in the 79th.
The Roadrunners outshot the Bucs 25-12.
Freshman goalkeeper Noah LeMaster made 11 saves for Blinn in 88 minutes of play.
Blinn’s season continues with a road trip to region adversary Coastal Bend College at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, in Beeville, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 44 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
