Beeville, TX — The Coastal Bend Cougars played a knock down battle against the LSU-Eunice Bengals to hold on to a 1-0 victory in the Gulf South District Semifinal, and avenging an early season loss to the Bengals. Both teams competed in what could be described as the most physical, evenly played match of the season. The Cougars and Bengals jockeyed for control for the majority of the match with both teams bending but not breaking. It wasn't until the final two minutes of the first half where the Cougars found a crack in the Bengals defense with a goal scored from Sophomore Forward Jaden McKree. That was all the Cougars defense needed as stellar play again from Freshman Goalkeeper Tim Teicher and the Cougars backline.

The Cougars uncharacteristically came out flat for the first 30 minutes of the match, letting the Bengals players control the pace of the half. Both teams embraced the physicality of the match, but the Cougars seemed to be on their heels more as the Bengals were more aggressive. A couple good saves by Teicher kept the Bengals at bay and allowed the Cougar offense to finally get the feel of the match. The turning point of the first half was a long pass from Freshman Forward Io Shono into the box, where McKree was able to avoid a collision that took out a Bengal defender and goalkeeper, giving McKree a wide open net that he was able to finish off the goal. The Cougars finally broke out and the swing of momentum was fully in the advantage for Coastal Bend.

In regard to how the team responded to the Bengals physicality, the Cougars coaching staff best described the team as 'fearless': "I would say the single best word to describe this team is fearless. We have been tested numerous times by different play styles and different opposition. These guys are ready for any opposition in front of them."

The new found momentum woke up the Cougars for the second half. They began outworking the Bengals more on the ball and playing with their patent aggressive mentality. The physicality did not lessen from either team. The Cougars defense was very stingy and limited the opportunities the Bengals had in the box. Teicher and the backline was tremendous under pressure, being able to win their 1v1s and clear the ball out efficiently. Sophomore Defender Cristobal Benito was outstanding in defense for the Cougars and helped control the backline. The Bengals late in the 2nd half had a flurry of opportunities, including corners and set pieces, but the Cougar defense would not budge on their stand, allowing time of possession to swing in their favor. The Cougars had their own chances to extend their lead, but weren't able to execute and finish into the net. The last defensive stand for the Cougars was a great defensive effort against the Bengals corner, getting the ball cleared and the countdown began, as a final free kick for the Bengals didn't have enough juice and the celebration ensued for the Cougars.

Coastal Bend will face Tyler Junior College on Friday, November 8th for the Gulf South District Final. The match is set for 6:00 PM at Hartley Field in Tyler, Tx.