Men´s Soccer Guts Out Gritty Win Over St. Edward´s

The Rattlers scored three goals in a stunning victory over St. Edward's. (Photo by Robin Johnson/St. Mary's Athletics)

SAN ANTONIO — The rivalry between the St. Mary’s and St. Edward’s men’s soccer teams remains intact after a hard–hitting, head–on–battle that ended with St. Mary’s on top 3–1 in its second win of the season.

Twenty–nine seconds into the game, the scoring action for the Rattlers got started with Adam “Chuy” Muro (Jr., San Antonio) netting a goal in his only shot of the game. Senior Michael Hasbach (Colleyville, Texas) connected in the 29th minute for his first goal of the season, setting in motion the Rattlers’ (2–4–0) 2–0 lead over the Hilltoppers (3–3) before the half.

However, it wouldn’t be a rivalry without a battle.

The second half was charged with aggressiveness and scrambles on the field, leading to four yellow cards, a pair for each team. The Hilltoppers (2–1 in Heartland Conference play) answered shortly after halftime with a skilled header by JR Ellis, closing in on the Rattlers (1–2 in conference) at 2–1.

Close calls threatened to tie the game with St. Edward’s five shots on goal, but Patrick Kasperitis (RS–So., Corpus Christi, Texas) moved quickly on his feet with four saves that kept the Rattlers on top of the Hilltoppers.

“We just battled,” said the quick–hitter Muro, whose goal was assisted by Mark Mendoza (Fr., Converse, Texas), his first of the season. “We didn’t care about getting hurt. We had Carrsaco [go down]. Every 50–50 ball, we won. It was nice to battle.”

Muro’s recollection of the intensity of the game centered on his teammate Andrew Carrsaco (Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas) going down in the second half in an apparent elbow injury. Carrsaco was treated on scene by EMTs and returned to his team in heavy wrapping, but did not return to the field.

The Rattlers kept their intensity despite losing their starter Carrsaco, as Eduardo Serrano (So., Dallas) netted his third goal of the season with a cross pass to the left assisted by Anthony Bustos (Jr., Helotes, Texas) with 12 minutes of game play left. Serrano’s goal closed out the chance for St. Edward’s to close the gap on the Rattlers and ensured St. Mary’s first Heartland Conference win.

The win was certainly sweet for Hasbach, who battled the Hilltoppers several times in his four–year Rattler career.

“St. Edward’s is probably my personal favorite rivalry between St. Edward’s and Incarnate Word,” Hasbach said. "When I came here I really wanted to put it to St. Edward’s every time.”

Hasbach and the Rattlers will get their other rivalry match this Sunday against Incarnate Word at 12 p.m. at Northside ISD Soccer Field.

St. Mary’s University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community service, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence. The University has six athletic national titles: men’s basketball (1989–NAIA), baseball (2001–NCAA Div. II), softball (1986–NAIA and 2002–NCAA Div. II) and an individual national champion in men’s golf (2006–NCAA Div. II) and a national academic championship in men’s golf (2009–NCAA Div. II). St. Mary’s also had more than 40 percent of its athletes named to conference, regional and/or national honor rolls this past year. St. Mary’s student–athletes graduation rate is 65 percent, higher than the NCAA Division II average of 55 percent. To learn more about St. Mary's, visit www.stmarytx.edu/athletics.

    

Coaching Staff

Head Coach Que Willis

Querande "Que" Willis enters the 2012 season as the longest-tenured coach in the history of the St. Mary's men's soccer program, racking up over 50 victories along the way.

In fact, Willis, in his 10th year with the school, needs just eight more victories to become the winningest coach in the program's history. He has guided the Rattlers to a 53-97-6 record over the past nine years.

Willis has helped 34 Rattlers earn all-conference honors since 2003, including five last season -- and 29 since 2006. In addition to the team's on-field successes, Joseph Diaz was honored in 2010 as an ESPN Academic All-District pick.

St. Mary's went 4-12-0 in 2011, upsetting rival on the Rattlers' makeshift home field, the Northside ISD Sports Complex. The Rattlers spent a season without a real home in 2011, and will again do so in 2012 as their home field at St. Mary's is undergoing renovations as part of the new outdoor sports complex.

St. Mary's went 4-13-0 in 2010, again upsetting rival St. Edward's on the road and nearly knocking off nationally ranked Midwestern State in a 2-1 defeat at home.

In 2007, the Rattlers posted their highest win total in six years, going 8-11 overall and finishing third in the Heartland Conference. St. Mary's started the season 4-2 and had a 7-2 record at home. Six Rattlers earned All-Heartland Conference honors that season.

During the 2004 and 2005 seasons, the team played in the Southwest Soccer Conference, one of the top leagues in the nation as it was made up of teams from both the Heartland Conference and Lone Star Conference.

Prior to taking the reins as the Rattlers head coach, Willis served as an assistant coach in the Rattler soccer program for two years. He assisted coaching both the men's and the women's teams.

During those two years, he helped the men's team to a 19-13-4 record, including a 12-5-3 mark in 2002, good for second place in the Heartland Conference standings. They advanced to the Heartland Tournament Championship game both seasons with Willis on the staff.

While assisting the women's soccer team, Willis helped the squad to a 20-13-1 record over two seasons. The Rattlers advanced to the Heartland Conference Tournament in 2002, then won the tournament in 2003, defeating Incarnate Word, 2-1.

As a four-year letterwinner for the Rattler soccer team from 1996-99, Willis earned two All-American awards and two Heart of Texas Conference Most Valuable Player awards. In his freshman season, Willis was named Heart of Texas Newcomer of the Year, paving the way for what would become one of the most dynamic careers in the program's history.

Willis came to San Antonio from Plano East High School in Plano, Texas. In addition to assisting Corwyn Ritch for the three years prior to becoming head coach, Willis has coached numerous club soccer teams in San Antonio and Dallas. He also currently coaches the Dallas Texans Football Club "Blues".

Willis is a 2001 graduate of St. Mary's with a bachelor of arts degree in computer science.

2012 St. Mary's Men's Soccer Roster