ABILENE, Texas — Scoring three goals in the second half to break a 1-1 tie at the half, East Texas Baptist University (6-6-2, 2-3-2) ran away from McMurry University (1-11-1, 0-6-1), 4-1, Saturday evening in Abilene.
Dylan Garcia had a hat trick in the second half to propel ETBU to the victory. ETBU put 17 of its 24 shots on goal and scored three times in the second half, improving to a .500 overall record for the season.
Garcia scored three goals and put four of his five shots on goal.
Braxton Ladwig added a goal and an assist while leading the Tigers with eight shots, including four on goal.
Jacob Whittington recorded two assists and put all three of his shots on goal.
Ryan Lord made three saves over 90 minutes and allowed one goal to record the win.
Ladwig answered for ETBU at 19:07, converting a penalty kick to equalize at 1-1 after McMurry had gone in front on a penalty kick just a minute earlier. The Tigers created the better early chances with shots from Garcia,
Joshua Daley, Ladwig and
Graylen Bowman, including three saves forced between 14:03 and 16:04. McMurry generated three shots and a corner in a late first-half stretch, but ETBU reached halftime tied 1-1.
Garcia scored three times in the second half, putting ETBU ahead 2-1 in the 55th minute off Whittington's assist before adding goals in the 74th and 81st minutes for the 4-1 lead. The Tigers kept McMurry under pressure around those goals, with Ladwig hitting the woodwork and Whittington, Garcia, Ladwig and Daley forcing saves during an extended attacking stretch. The half ended with ETBU closing out a 4-1 win.
ETBU travels to Belton, Texas, to play the University Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m.
HALF BREAKDOWN
First Half
- ETBU generated early pressure with two corner kicks and three shots on goal in the opening 16 minutes; all three were saved.
- McMurry moved ahead on a successful penalty kick at 18:03, but Ladwig converted a penalty kick at 19:07 to equalize at 1-1.
- McMurry recorded three shots and a corner between 34:21 and 38:26, while ETBU added a late corner at 44:33 before the half ended 1-1.
Second Half
- McMurry created the first sustained stretch of the half with two corner kicks and two shots from 48:01 to 49:32, including Lord's save, before ETBU moved in front 2-1 on Garcia's goal from Whittington at 54:48.
- The Tigers kept pressure on with four shots from 59:44 to 64:11, then added to the lead at 73:20 when Garcia scored again off another Whittington assist to make it 3-1.
- After another ETBU corner, Garcia completed the second-half scoring at 80:03 from a Ladwig assist, and the visitors closed out the 4-1 win.
ETBU Top Performers
Dylan Garcia
- three goals
- game-winning goal
- six points
- five shots, four on goal
Braxton Ladwig
- one goal
- one assist
- three points
- eight shots, four on goal
Jacob Whittington
- two assists
- two points
- three shots, all on goal
Ryan Lord
- three saves
- one goal allowed
- 90 minutes
Graylen Bowman
- four shots
- three shots on goal
