PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University men's soccer team scored twice in 52 seconds late in the second half to earn a 5-5 draw with the Texas A&M Texarkana Eagles Saturday night at Wildcat Field to clinch the final spot in the 2026 RRAC Championship Tournament.
With Louisiana Christian (6-8-3, 3-4-2 RRAC) trailing Texas A&M-Texarkana (8-8-2, 3-4-2 RRAC) 5-3 as the clock ticked past the 80
th minute,
Aran Hernández Vivar began the comeback in the 81
st minute, collecting a loose ball in the box and scoring his sixth goal of the season. Less than a minute later,
Gustavo Varnier reached another loose ball and beat the TAMUT goalkeeper to equalize with his first goal of the season. Hernández Vivar had a potential go-ahead shot saved in the 84
th minute and finished with all three of his attempts on target.
After conceding in just the second minute of the match, LCU answered through
Ezra Williams, who finished
Manuel Sosa-Villaseñor's cross from the right in the 14
th minute for his second goal of the season. Sosa-Villaseñor then converted
Matej Motycka's through ball from the left in the 22
nd minute, putting the Wildcats ahead 2-1 with his fifth goal of the season.
The lead lasted 32 seconds before a penalty kick tied the match, and LCU fell behind 3-2 in the 27
th minute.
Juan Sierra brought the Wildcats level again in the 34
th minute, putting away the rebound of a saved shot by Williams. Sierra's team-leading ninth goal of the season sent LCU into halftime tied 3-3.
Varnier hit the post in the 61
st minute as the Wildcats searched for another breakthrough. Instead, LCU conceded in the 76
th minute and again in the 79
th minute to fall behind 5-3. Goalkeeper @
Ricardo Gross stopped the initial shot on the latter sequence, but the rebound was converted, leaving the Wildcats with a two-goal deficit entering the closing stretch.
Sosa-Villaseñor and Williams each contributed a goal and an assist, combining for nine of LCU's 17 shots. The Wildcats held a 17-15 shooting advantage, with both teams putting nine attempts on goal. Gross made four saves, two in each half
LCU and TAMUT finished the season tied for the final spot in the 2026 Red River Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, sending the decision to tiebreakers. Louisiana Christian won the second tiebreaker, having scored and conceded the same number of goals in conference play while Texas A&M-Texarkana conceded three more goals than scored during in RRAC matches, moving the Wildcats through into the Conference Tournament.
The Wildcats, the six-seed in the tournament, will now look to avenge their loss last Thursday at LSU Shreveport when they head back up I-49 for a first round match against the third-seeded Pilots. The date and time for the first round match between LCU and LSUS will be announced later.
