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HOUSTON, Texas \u2014 Jacksonville University men’s soccer opened its 2026 campaign with a statement Thursday night, earning a 2-0 road victory over Houston Christian at Sorrels Field.<\/p>\n
The victory marked Jacksonville’s first season-opening win since 2020 and the first under head coach Ali Simmons<\/a>. It came against a Houston Christian program that entered the season following back-to-back appearances in the OVC Championship match.<\/p>\n After a scoreless opening half, Matias Tobon<\/a> broke through for the Dolphins in the 53rd minute. The previous ASUN All-Freshman selection picked up where he left off last season, calmly converting a penalty kick to give JU the lead.<\/p>\n Mathias Mjaavatn<\/a> added the insurance goal at the 80:22 mark, finishing a move created by Tobon and Dante Wright<\/a>. The goal came less than six minutes after Mjaavatn entered the match and was his first in a Dolphin uniform.<\/p>\n Both Jacksonville goals came from players off the bench. Tobon finished the night with a goal and an assist, while Wright also recorded an assist.<\/p>\n Simen Havig<\/a> handled the rest in goal, making four saves to secure the shutout. Houston Christian finished with a 10-6 advantage in total shots, but both teams placed four attempts on goal as the Dolphins made the most of their opportunities.<\/p>\n Jacksonville’s starting lineup featured Havig, Nahne Paulsen<\/a>, Simon Libert<\/a>, Romain Spailier<\/a>, Diego Valles<\/a>, Dante Wright<\/a>, Spencer Potter<\/a>, Kai Tamashiro<\/a>, Iver Skorve<\/a>, Alejandro Carrillo<\/a> and Quinten Koster<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Dolphins continue their Texas road trip Sunday when they travel to San Antonio for an 8 p.m. ET matchup with Incarnate Word.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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