TEXARKANA, Texas - After a strong run in the RRAC tournament, the Xavier men's soccer team is one step away from a conference crown.
Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., the Gold Rush (12-4-2) will face the Pilots of LSU-Shreveport (13-1-5) at Judy Kelley Morgan Field, with the winners guaranteeing themselves a spot in the NAIA national tournament.Â
Xavier, seeded third in the RRAC tournament, is no stranger to the Pilots. The two teams met just two weeks ago, with LSUS winning 2-0.Â
That loss proved inspirational to the Gold Rush, who downed A&M Victoria and LSU-Alexandria in succession to reach the finals.Â
In the Victoria game, Xavier scored a late win after John Orgah came off the bench and cleaned up a deflected corner kick in the 81st minute to give XULA a 1-0 win.Â
Monday, in the RRAC semifinals, the Gold Rush overcame an early LSUA goal with a pair that proved sufficient in a 2-1 win.Â
Antonio Merola played a role in both Xavier goals on Monday. He scored unassisted in the 34th minute, then assisted Diego Pacheco on the game-deciding goal in the 47th minute.Â
The championship match will be broadcast live on Texas A&M Texarkana's streaming service.Â
