Two Late Goals Preserve Aztex' Perfect Record

The Austin Aztex scored twice in the last 10 minutes Saturday night in the Woodlands to beat the Houston Dutch Lions, 2-1, and move to 5-0 and hold onto first place in the PDL Mid South division. Next up: The Aztex return to the friendly confines of House Park to take on the El Paso Patriots, at 7:30pm this Saturday, June 15.

The Aztex controlled much of the possession against the Dutch Lions, but found themselves behind just before halftime on a play that resulted from an intercepted clearance attempt. The score remained the same until a flurry of late substitutions by Aztex coach Paul Dalglish seemed to turn the tide. Forward Tucker Hume, brought on in the 70th minute, was pulled down in the box by a Lions defender in the 82nd, and the resulting penalty shot was driven home by defender Leone Cruz, who had himself been in the game just a couple of minutes. The Aztex then claimed the full three points late in extra time, on Hume's diving header, connecting with a Tony Rocha cross.

It's a good thing they did, too, because second-place Oklahoma City FC kept pace, beating the Laredo Heat 3-2 with their own late rally. That leaves OKC three points back of Austin in the PDL Mid South, despite having played two more games. … In last year's inaugural season, the Aztex won games by scores like 7-0 and 6-1; this season, by contrast, they've opened with five straight one-goal wins. … At 5-0, the Aztex are tied with the Thunder Bay Chill for the best record in the 64-team PDL.

Mid South Standings
W-L-D--Pts
5--0--0--15 - Austin Aztex
4--3--0--12 - Oklahoma City FC
2--2--1--07 - Laredo Heat
2--3--1--07 - Houston Dutch Lions
2--4--1--07 - West Texas Sockers
1--4--1--04 - El Paso Patriots

Remaining Aztex Home Schedule
Saturday, June 15: El Paso
Saturday, June 29: Houston
Friday, July 5: West Texas
Saturday, July 13: OKC