Men's Soccer Starts Season On Right Foot

SAN ANTONIO — Sophomore forward Gael Gallegos started the 2024 season with a bang for the St. Mary's Men's Soccer team, scoring two goals and recording an assist on the other as the Rattlers defeated crosstown foe Our Lady of the Lake 3-1 on Thursday evening.
 
The five points by Gallegos (Laredo, Texas) are the most in a match since Nenad Markovic scored six (three goals) on Nov. 23, 2019, against Western Washington in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
Gallegos put the Rattlers (1-0) on the board first, taking a feed from senior Sofian Maghouz (London, England) in the 27th minute for the 1-0 lead and the only goal of the first half.
 
The Saints (1-3) evened the score three minutes into the second period, but StMU regained the lead less than nine minutes later. In the 57th minute, senior defender Bradley Greene (Essex, England) scored on a header on a double feed from Gallegos and Andrick Ferrer (Buffalo, N.Y.) for the 2-1 advantage.
 
Nine minutes later, Gallego struck again, scoring on a header from a free kick by freshman Jamie Thompson (Insch, Scotland) in the 66th minute for the 3-1 final score.
 
The win gives Head Coach Johnny Clifford 65 victories at St. Mary's, tying him with Dave Stolarski (1971-81) for the most wins in school history.
 
Clifford and his Rattlers will have a chance to give him the record outright on Monday, Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. (CT)/1 p.m. (MT) when they take on Colorado Mesa at Fort Lewis in Durango, Colo. The Mavericks will open their season against the Rattlers.