The Howard Payne University Men's Soccer team lost to LeTourneau University by a score of 2-1. 

The Yellow Jackets were behind the eight ball most of the first half. LeTourneau had the majority of the possession and had three shots on target.

Adrian Villa kept Howard Payne in it by making three saves.

The second half started out much more evenly than the first half, and that proved fruitful for the Yellow Jackets as Xzavier Saldana was able to capitalize on a mistake to score his first goal of the season and put Howard Payne up 1-0 in the 70th minute.

Saldana's goal was the Yellow Jackets' first shot on target in the game, and was Howard Payne's first goal against LeTourneau since 2023.

That lead didn't last long though, as Karsten Guerra's equalizer a few minutes later brought LeTourneau level.

In the 85th minute, Villa parried LeTourneau's first shot, but ultimately, LeTourneau found the back of the net off of the rebound.

"Our guys played with a ton of heart and intensity," head coach Brandon McGibeny said. "We didn't play to the best of our ability, but it's a big step in the right direction, and we can continue to improve off of that."

Up next for the Men's Soccer team is a trip to Dallas, as the team takes on the University of Dallas on Saturday, September 5th at 5:00 CT.