FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Wesleyan University (2-3-4) defeated Howard Payne University (2-3-1) 5-0 on Tuesday. Texas Wesleyan scored all five goals in the first half and finished with a 24-3 advantage in shots.
Texas Wesleyan turned steady first-half pressure into a 5-0 halftime lead, scoring twice through
Rudy Gonzalez before adding goals from
Victor Gonzalez,
Raul Parga and
Nicholas Duderstadt. After Howard Payne University sent a shot high in the fourth minute, Texas Wesleyan answered quickly when
Rudy Gonzalez scored at 5:31 off Duderstadt's assist, then kept the pressure on with two more shots in the next three minutes. Texas Wesleyan built on that start during a 13:25-to-22:04 stretch that included three corner kicks,
Rudy Gonzalez's second goal off assists from
Nathaniel Neang and
Peter Tenorio,
Victor Gonzalez's finish from Tenorio, and three saved shots. Parga made it 4-0 in the 32nd minute after Texas Wesleyan had continued to create chances around corner kicks, and Duderstadt scored from
Mehdi Def in the 43rd minute before
Carlos Ramirez put one more shot wide before halftime.
Texas Wesleyan kept Howard Payne University off the scoreboard in the second half and closed out a 5-0 win. Texas Wesleyan opened the half with two Tenorio corner kicks in the first 90 seconds, and Tenorio followed with a shot that was saved in the 48th minute. Duderstadt hit the post at 54:51, and Texas Wesleyan continued the stretch with two more Tenorio corners and a
Walter Palacios shot saved at 58:35.
Noah Epler-McDonnell handled Howard Payne University's lone shot of the half in the 65th minute, while Texas Wesleyan added later chances from Parga and
Nestor Salazar and finished the half with seven shots and six corner kicks.
Rudy Gonzalez led Texas Wesleyan with two goals, including the game-winner, on three shots. Duderstadt added a goal and an assist while recording a team-high six shots, with three on frame. Tenorio tallied two assists and put both of his shots on goal. Epler-McDonnell recorded the shutout in goal, making one save over 90 minutes.
The Rams return to action on Saturday as they travel to Siloam Springs to take on John Brown University on September 26 at 3:30pm.
