Long Wait Over for UT Tyler Men's Soccer
October 31, 2007

The UT Tyler Patriots have arguably been the most dominant men's soccer program in the American Southwest Conference since 2002. Under head coach Kenny Jones, the Patriots won back-to-back ASC regular season titles in 2005 and 2006, along with ASC East title and the USCAA National Championship in 2003. But because of its provisional status, UT Tyler was not able to advance to the ASC post-season or on to the NCAA's.

Those days are only memories now and the Patriots will make their first trip to the ASC tournament Friday. Holding the sixth seed, UT Tyler will play No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor at 2 p.m. on the campus of the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark. The winner will go on to face No. 2 Texas-Dallas at 2 p.m. Saturday in the semifinal round.

UT Tyler will have a tough go with UMHB in the first round game, having dropped a 3-1 decision to the Cru back on Oct. 4. UMHB put together an 11-6-1 record on the season, but more importantly a 10-2-1 league mark to tie for third with Mississippi College. UMHB took the third seed in the tournament courtesy of a 2-1 victory over MC in the regular season.

“UMHB is a very athletic and mentally tough team,” said Jones. “Brad (Bankhead) has coached them well and they are playing solid at this point in the season. It will be a good match considering they are the last team that we lost to in conference play.”

The Patriots finished the regular season campaign with an 11-6 overall record and an 8-5 record in conference play, including winning their last seven conference games. In the end, UT Tyler’s hopes for a playoff spot were in the hands of East Texas Baptist which dropped its last three conference games to fall from second place to seventh place and give UT Tyler the sixth and final slot in the postseason tournament.

“Once we realized we couldn't loose any more conference games, after the Mary Hardin-Baylor loss, I think all the guys did a great job of focusing on getting better and fulfilling their roles and responsibilities, rather than focusing on the outcomes of the games,” said Jones. “That was when they started making fewer mistakes and playing collectively, which lead to all of the great results during our current win streak.”

The Patriots have not only done well on the pitch, but they have done well on paper too. Currently, UT Tyler is ranked in the top five in the ASC in all but one statistical category. The Patriots have allowed fewer goals per game this season than any other team in the league and have posted a remarkable nine shutouts in eleven wins, allowing just one goal in their past seven games. Their 0.53 shutout percentage is good enough to rank them top in their conference and thirty-fifth in the nation.

Offensively, the Patriots were led this season by junior midfielder Michael Kendall (Houston, Texas) who had nine goals and four assist for 22 points on the year. Kendall ranks among the top five players in the ASC in shots, shots per game, points and points per game. While Kendall led the way in goals, junior midfielder Cole Brittain (Ben Wheeler, Texas) led UT Tyler in assists with five.

Defensively, senior goalkeeper Geoff Sherman (Tyler, Texas) helped lead the Patriots to nine shutouts by recording 49 saves and allowing just 12 goals. Sherman finished the regular season with a 10-5 record. He currently ranks among the top four goalkeepers in the conference in goals against average, save percentage, shutouts, and shutouts per game.

“The team is a very talented and athletic group of guys but we are also young,” noted Jones. “It has taken more time to actually get them on the same page mentally and tactically, but now that they have put it all together, they are playing very well.”

No. 4 Mississippi College takes on the fifth seed Hardin-Simmons to begin the tournament Friday at 11 a.m. The ASC championship game is schedule for 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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