ABILENE, Texas – The McMurry University men's soccer team picked up a strong non-conference opponent on Wednesday, but were edged 1-0 by the University of Houston-Victoria at Wilford Moore Stadium in Abilene.

After a scoreless first half, the Jaguars (1-0) took a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute on a bicycle kick from Gabrial Rojas. McMurry nearly equalized the game in the 73rd minute on a shot by Luis Lopez, but a great save kept UHV ahead.

McMurry had a strong first half defensively, despite nine shots from UHV in the opening frame. Freshman goalkeeper Angel Salazar tallied seven saves to keep the Jaguars off the board.

UHV had a 14-4 shooting advantage with 10 shots on target. All of McMurry's shots were on goal, with two from Lopez and one each from freshman Martin Rodriguez and junior Andres Martinez.

In the second half, freshman Christopher Mora-Brandt entered and tallied two saves.

The War Hawks have a rematch with Hardin-Simmons up next, as the rivals will play on Friday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at the HSU Soccer Complex.