Texarkana, TX - The Nelson University Lions opened the 2026 men's soccer season in impressive fashion Saturday evening, defeating Texas A&M-Texarkana 2-0.
The Lions wasted little time establishing control, scoring twice in the opening 13 minutes to build an early advantage. Nelson's defense then held strong throughout the remainder of the match to secure the shutout and open the season with a victory.
In the 12th minute of the match, Nelson struck first when
Yael Sandoval found the back of the net off an assist from
Oscar Otero, giving the Lions a 1-0 lead.Â
Then, 76 seconds later, Nelson extended their lead as Otero scored off an assist from
Joel Palmer, putting the Lions in a great position with a 2-0 lead in the 13th minute.Â
The Lions carried the two-goal advantage into halftime after controlling much of the opening period. Nelson recorded 11 shots in the first half compared to just three for the Eagles.
Despite many attempts from Texarkana, the Nelson defense held strong and denied every opportunity the opposition had. Goalkeeper
Michael Smith and defenders Fitzrow McLeod III,
Alex Castro, and
Pascoal Manuel all helped anchor the defensive effort and held Texarkana scoreless.Â
Otero led the Lions offensively, scoring a goal and recording an assist. While Sandoval added a goal and Palmer contributed with an assist.Â
With this victory, Nelson opens the 2026 season 1-0-0.Â
Up Next
The Lions will return home and make their debut at the Lion's Athletic Comlex where they will take on the University of Houston-Victoria on September 1 at 6:00 PM.Â
Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.
