The Arlington Baptist University Men's Soccer team delivered a statement performance on Tuesday night, upsetting Randall University 3–2 in the Southwest Regional Semifinal to advance to Friday's Regional Final against Southwestern Adventist University.
Coming in as heavy underdogs after two regular-season defeats to Randall—including a 5–0 loss just a week prior—the Patriots displayed belief, unity, and resilience in one of their most inspired performances of the year.
Randall opened the scoring in the 7th minute, taking an early 1–0 lead. The Patriots responded with determination and found their breakthrough in the 33rd minute when sophomore forward Adam Rodriguez pressed high, dispossessed the opposing center back, and calmly finished into the bottom-left corner from the right side of the box to level the score at 1–1 heading into halftime.
Early in the second half, ABU struck again. Rodriguez received the ball down the right channel and whipped in a driven cross to freshman midfielder Luca Sortini, who made a darting run into the box and slotted home a first-time finish into the bottom-left corner to put the Patriots up 2–1.
Randall equalized midway through the half on a set piece, but ABU refused to back down. With nine minutes remaining, Rodriguez created another moment of brilliance—beating two defenders at the top left corner of the box before firing a low shot inside the near post to secure the game-winning goal.
The Patriots showed collective grit and defensive composure in the closing minutes, weathering heavy pressure to seal the 3–2 victory and book their place in the Southwest Regional Final.
"It took everything from every player on the field and the bench," said Head Coach Mat Levenson. "The guys executed the game plan, trusted each other, and played with total commitment. This was a performance defined by heart and resilience."
With the win, ABU advances to face Southwestern Adventist University on Friday at 2:00 PM for a chance to claim the Southwest Regional Championship and earn a berth to the NCCAA National Tournament in Orlando, Florida.
