Falcons’ wide receiver MJ Link had an impressive showing in a 31-24 overtime win against Simon Fraser on Saturday night, with eight catches for 141 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown.
During the weekly UTPB Monday press conference, he was asked about that long touchdown reception.
“I just made a play,” Link said. “We practiced all week. We knew I was going to be open. It was an easy touchdown.”
Coach Justin Carrigan felt what he saw with his team’s alignments resulted in the big play.
“How the guys align in certain downs and distances and tendencies that are showing up, as well as how we as coaches can get seniors like MJ, who is experienced and take a lot of their input and apply it to drives (is what I saw on film),” Carrigan said.
“Assuming they made this call and they executed well, it was a great play,” Carrigan continued. “It helps having a guy like MJ making those calls.”
Link now has 37 receptions for 528 yards and 7 touchdowns in six games this year for the Falcons (3-3 overall, 2-2 in the Lone Star Conference), good for about six catches and 88 yards per game.
He currently ranks second among all Lone Star Conference receivers in each of these categories.
Link felt, after back to back 100-yard and 8-plus reception games, that opposing teams will now be more focused on game-planning and taking what they are doing defensively to stop him.
“Yes, of course I do [take pride in that],” Link said.
As for Saturday’s overtime game against Simon Fraser, an opposition that is a league-worst 0-4 and 0-2 in conference play, Link was more optimistic about the result.
“The game should not have gone into overtime,” Link said. “But we have to put our best foot forward and make one play at a time.”
Carrigan agreed, especially after the Falcons’ fourth one-score game result in their last five.
“As long as you have a chance to win the fourth quarter, you have an opening in every game,” Carrigan said. “We just got to finish them off.”
>> Men’s Soccer
The Falcons split the road and home games last week, winning at Texas A&M International 3-2 on Wednesday night in Laredo, but falling to conference-leading St. Mary’s 4-1 on Saturday afternoon at Falcon Field.
Senior captain Gustavo Barroso was the bright spot for the Falcons, as he tallied two second half goals in the win on Wednesday, then added a game-tying penalty kick goal in the Saturday loss.
Barroso currently ranks fourth among all Lone Star Conference players in shots (28) and shots on goal (14) and fifth in assists (4), but this midfielder-turned-forward has a conference-leading six goals and 16 points (number of goals times two, plus assists) in 11 games for the Falcons this season.
“I would like to thank all of my teammates, the staff and everyone that is making a lot of effort to help me and to give what I am not giving up,” Barroso said in the Monday press conference.
As for the shift from his more natural position at midfield because of an injured player, Barroso said that he has had more success because of this change.
“I am now closer to the goal,” Barroso said. “When the ball goes to the right back or the left back or the wingers, I will be around. They can cross, and I can score.”
His head coach, Victor Domingues, has another reason why Barroso leads the league in goals after the recent switch.
“When we play (Barroso) in a different position, it kind of disoriented the other teams,” Domingues said at the Monday press conference. “He scored two goals (against Texas A&M International), but he could have scored four, as he actually missed a penalty that I am upset about.
“He could be leading the conference even more.”
>> Women’s Soccer
The Falcons fell to Midwestern State (5-6-1, 2-4-1) on Wednesday night at Wichita Falls, 3-1, but managed to pull a scoreless draw on Saturday afternoon against the third-best team in the LSC in St. Edward’s (8-2-3, 4-1-2) at Falcon Field.
“We had a really good first half (against Midwestern State), as we outplayed them in every area,” Coach Elmer Zayala said in the Monday press conference. “However, we did not do the things we did in the first half and gave up two goals.
“We came back home, focused, and played our style of soccer,” Zayala continued. “We were able to slow down St. Mary’s and get a tie and a point.”
The Falcons only have five games left in the season, and are currently tied for ninth place in the Lone Star Conference. They are on the outside-looking-in for one of the seven LSC playoff berths.
“We need to keep the team focused,” Zayala said. “I think teams in the conference are aware of UTPB women’s soccer now.”
>> Follow Sameer Malla on Twitter at @OA_SameerMalla
