Written By Rev. Justin C. Jackson

Houston, TX – Under the lights at SaberCats Stadium, the Stallions of North American University took on the University of Saint Thomas on Saturday night in a gritty, hard-fought contest that ended 2–0 in favor of the Celts.

The Stallions showed heart and resilience across the full 90 minutes, firing off seven total shots with two on target from Flynn Faulkner and Sandile Mdauli. The defensive unit anchored by Gino Burioni in goal stood tall, with Burioni recording a key save despite constant UST pressure.

The Celts struck first in the 37th minute, when Tony Castro found the net off a setup from Brian Garcia. NAU continued to battle into the second half, but a late penalty kick in the 79th minute converted by Elijah Flores sealed the final scoreline.

It was a physical match, with both sides leaving their mark on the stat sheet: 11 yellow cards were handed out between the two teams, underscoring just how intense this clash was.

Coach's words after the match carried a sense of determination: "We competed hard against a very disciplined UST side. Our guys didn't back down, and these matches are where you grow. We'll keep building, and the breakthrough will come."

The Stallions now shift focus to their second stop of the weekend road trip in Austin, where they faced Huston-Tillotson University.