DBU (0-0-0) vs. UT TYLER (0-0-0) 
August 27 | 7:00 p.m. | Dallas, TX | Patriot Soccer Field

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COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF
DBU Men's Soccer commences the 2026 season with a home, non-conference match against Lone Star Conference foe UT Tyler on Thursday at Patriot Soccer Field. The Patriots are coming off a 7-7-4 season where they earned a spot in the LSC Tournament before falling to UT Tyler in the quarterfinals.
 
Thursday marks the third straight year that DBU and UT Tyler will face off in the season opener. UT Tyler won 2025's match 1-0 and the two squads drew a 1-1 tie in 2024.
 
In the LSC preseason poll, DBU was selected to finish sixth in the league, and UT Tyler was picked to take fifth among the 11 teams.
 
PATRIOT STORYLINES
New Era: The Patriots begin a new era on Thursday, as Head Coach Brad Bankhead and his staff, including Assistant Coach Austin Wills and Graduate Assistants Jules Peycelon and Benny Lube, make their debut at Patriot Field.
Strong Core: DBU has 13 returners from the 2025 roster, including All-LSC selections forward Erik Oliveira and defender Cason Berg. LSC All-Freshman Team picks midfielders Caleb Centeno and Jared Perez are also back on University Hill.
New Faces: Alongside the 13 returners, 23 newcomers look to make an impact in their first year at DBU. The 23 players include 15 first-year players and eight transfers, including 2025 All-American Southwest Conference selections defender Trace Binyon, forward James Webb, and midfielder Daniel Villagomez.
Experience Across the Pitch: Six of DBU's seven players who logged more than 1,000 minutes in 2025 make their return to University Hill, including Cason Berg (1,570), Jack Golden (1,385), Bryan Beck (1,236), Erik Oliveira (1,212), Chase Turcotte (1,104), and Caleb Centeno (1,033).
The Offense is Back: The Patriots bring back eight of their nine players who scored a goal in 2025, accounting for 20 of the 22 goals netted in 2025. The top three goal-scorers, Erik Oliveira (6), Caleb Centeno (5), and Caden Berg (3), are all back on the roster.
Eye on the Defense: The defensive corps, anchored by Cason Berg and Jack Golden, will replace 2025's team leader in minutes played Evan Lupo.
 
SCOUTING UT TYLER
- UT Tyler went 8-8-3 in 2025, advancing to the semifinals of the LSC Tournament, where the Patriots fell to eventual national champion Midwestern State.
- In his 25th season at the helm, Head Coach Kenny Jones welcomes back 11 players from the 2025 squad, most notably goalkeeper Niclas Becker, who made 16 starts last season, and Noe Coutino, who was second on the team with four goals.
- Opposite the 11 returners is a wealth of 24 newcomers, including 12 international players.
- The Patriots look to replace their lone All-LSC selection from last season, midfielder Luan Rangel, who paced the team in goals (7), points (16), shots on goal (36), and shots on goal percentage (.500).
- In 2025, UT Tyler was one of the most disciplined teams in the country, averaging only 8.21 fouls per game, which ranked fourth in the country.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Dating back to 2002, UT Tyler leads the all-time series with DBU 9-6-2. The pair of Patriot squads met three times in 2025, with UT Tyler going 2-1 in those matches.
 
UP NEXT
DBU begins a season-long four-game road stretch on Thursday, September 3, against Harding. Kickoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. in Searcy, Arkansas.