Austin, Texas – It was minutes after a tough home loss when St. Mary’s University defender Uros Ceglaj recently predicted a moment like the one the Rattlers enjoyed Friday.

Then, disappointed by losing a close game the Rattlers thought they should have won, Ceglaj said all they needed was to hit the road. He knew they were loaded with talent, but with all the new faces came the need to jell.

That, he said, would come with the first road trip.

The freshman from Ljubljana, Slovenia, apparently was spot-on in his assessment, as junior forward Danny Kelly scored in the 65th minute Friday to top Heartland Conference rival St. Edward’s University 1-0.

Scoring his second goal of the season, Kelly (Tucson, Ariz.) took a pass from sophomore midfielder Aaron Stares (Swindon, England) to beat the keeper for the decisive goal. St. Mary’s sophomore goalkeeper Patrick Kasperitis (Corpus Christi, Texas) maintained a clean sheet in the match, saving four shots with no goals allowed.

The Rattlers (2-3, 1-2) outshot St. Edward’s 15-10, including 7-4 on shots on goal. It was nothing new for an aggressive Rattlers squad that typically outshoots its opponents, but the fact Kelly was able to find a finishing touch was new for the team.

And with Sunday’s 7 p.m. clash at Incarnate Word looming, the Rattlers still have time for one more finishing act on the road before returning home next week.

Back to top