Carrasco Connects in Final Seconds for Wild Win

File Photo (Antonio Morano Photography)

ODESSA, Texas — After claiming their first victory on the season, the Rattlers got another for their first conference win against the University of Texas-Permian Basin on Saturday.

Currently on a two-game winning trek, the Rattlers (2-4-1, 1-1-1 in conference) stumped the Falcons (5-2, 3-1) from their undefeated Heartland Conference play, giving them their first loss while gaining their own first conference win with only seconds to spare in the 2-1 triumph.  

An unassisted Falcon goal from 40 yards out during the first 20 minutes of the game would remain the only goal until the 83rd minute, when the Rattlers began their strike.

Shooting on goal for nine out of their 12 total shots, St. Mary’s connected with only seven minutes left in the game from a freshman duo. A well-placed corner kick from Alexis Santamaria (San Antonio) gave Armando Macias (San Antonio) a clear lane to punch in his first collegiate goal and make it a tie game 1-1.

With only 20 seconds remaining in the game, the Rattlers ripped down the field past defenders for Devon Foster (So., Castroville, Texas) to find Andrew Carrasco (Sr., Corpus Christi, Texas) for the game-winner and his first goal on the season to end it 2-1.

Silencing the Falcons’ undefeated conference play, keeper Patrick Kasperitis (Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas) put down five saves on the day to add another win to his record.

Jack Wolf (Fr., Richardson, Texas), Fernando Arias-Williams (So., Houston) and Zach Strater (So., Carrollton, Texas) had two shots on goal against the Falcons, while Santamaria and scorers Macias and Carrasco each had one.

The Rattlers will go for three straight against rival St. Edward’s Thursday at the Northside ISD Soccer Field at 3:30 p.m.

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