Schreiner men’s soccer falls in season opener at Mary Hardin-Baylor, 3-1

Bhodey Miller’s second-half goal wasn’t enough as the Schreiner men’s soccer team dropped its season opener 3-1 to Mary Hardin-Baylor on Thursday at Cru Sports Plex.

The Mountaineers (0-1-0) trailed 1-0 at halftime after Martin Valdez scored for the Crusaders in the fourth minute, assisted by Michael Myers and Caple Esquivel.

Miller, a junior forward from Kerrville, equalized for Schreiner in the 62nd minute with an unassisted goal to knot the score 1-1. The momentum was short-lived, however, as Mary Hardin-Baylor (1-0-0) responded with two goals in the final 14 minutes.

Rhett Rapuzzi put the Crusaders back in front 2-1 in the 76th minute off an assist from Valdez, then Dylan Vadnais sealed the victory with a goal in the 79th minute, assisted by Esquivel.

Mary Hardin-Baylor dominated possession and shots, outshooting Schreiner 17-3. The Crusaders put 11 shots on target compared to just two for the Mountaineers.

Schreiner goalkeeper Mason Szymanski, a sophomore from Frisco, made eight saves in the loss. Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Mack Elliott needed just one save to secure the victory.

The match featured several yellow cards in the second half, with Schreiner receiving six cautions and Mary Hardin-Baylor two. Cody Winters was booked for Schreiner in the first half, while the remaining cards came after the 56th minute.

The Mountaineers were also outpaced in corner kicks 7-2, though they committed only two more fouls than the Crusaders (8-6).

Schreiner returns to action Saturday when it faces Hardin-Simmons at 4 p.m. at Mary Hardin-Baylor in a neutral site contest.