EDINBURG, Texas — Stetson men's soccer continues its season-opening swing through Texas on Sunday morning as the Hatters travel to Edinburg to face UTRGV at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET as Stetson looks to respond following Thursday night's season-opening test at No. 15 SMU.

Sunday marks the second leg of an immediate early-season challenge for a Hatter roster blending an experienced returning core with 13 newcomers, including eight freshmen.

Sunday concludes Stetson's two-match season-opening trip through the Lone Star State.

The Hatters began the 2026 campaign Thursday night in Dallas against No. 15 SMU, facing a Mustang side coming off an ACC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025.

Stetson now heads south to Edinburg looking to close the opening weekend with a result before returning to DeLand.

Stetson opened the season with a 3-1 setback against No. 15 SMU at Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium.

The Mustangs built a three-goal advantage, but the Hatters continued to push forward and broke through in the closing seconds when junior forward Mauricio Restrepo found the back of the net at the 89:27 mark.

Restrepo finished low to the left on his only attempt of the night, scoring Stetson's first goal of the 2026 campaign and the second of his collegiate career.

The Hatters finished with seven shots, including two on goal. Andre Casas registered Stetson's other attempt on target, while Maurice Hauser and Ibrahima Keita each recorded two shots.

Stetson entered the season with an entirely new goalkeeper room, and two of the three Hatters between the posts received their first regular-season action Thursday night.

Freshman Murillo Mello earned the start against SMU in his collegiate debut after emerging from preseason as Stetson's projected starter. Mello handled the opening 45 minutes before Daytona State transfer Matthew McCall took over for the second half.

Mello and McCall are joined by freshman Reef Brain in a goalkeeper room tasked with following former ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year Nicolò Radaelli, who concluded his Stetson career following the 2025 season.

The season opener also provided Stetson's newcomers with their first opportunity to see regular-season action in a Hatter uniform.

Mello, Jaxson Lee and William Mills were among the new faces in the starting XI against SMU, while several additional newcomers contributed off the bench.

Lee arrived in DeLand following a productive season at Robert Morris. The 6-foot-5 defender appeared in all 17 matches with 12 starts for the Colonials in 2025, logging 1,129 minutes and recording one goal and a team-high five assists.

Freshman midfielder Ibrahima Keita provided a spark off the bench in Dallas, recording two shots in 48 minutes of action during his Stetson debut.

While 13 members of the roster are new to the program, the Hatters return an experienced core throughout the field.

Junior midfielder Benjamin Donato enters his third season as one of the team's most established players. Donato has made 23 career starts and logged more than 2,000 minutes in a Stetson uniform while developing into a key presence in the middle of the field.

Senior defender Ross Appolon was named team captain ahead of the season after leading all returning Stetson field players with 1,258 minutes in 2025. Appolon started the season opener alongside Andre Casas, Jaxson Lee and Adam Dring on the back line.

Sophomore Valentin Fontaine also returns after earning ASUN All-Freshman Team honors last season, while Mills enters 2026 positioned for increased minutes following a strong summer and preseason.

Stetson entered the 2026 campaign picked second in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving 59 points and one first-place vote.

The selection marked the Hatters' highest preseason ranking under head coach Emmett Rutkowski and their highest placement in the conference preseason poll since being picked first in 2010.

Senior forward Zsombor Pall and Donato were both named to the Preseason All-ASUN Team. Pall returns after leading Stetson with six goals and 12 points in 2025 on his way to Second Team All-ASUN honors.

Sunday offers the Hatters their first opportunity to respond following Thursday's setback and another early chance to build chemistry across a roster featuring plenty of new combinations.

Stetson used 20 players in the opener, allowing the coaching staff to get an extended look at the roster against a nationally-ranked opponent.

The Hatters also showed fight through the final whistle, with Restrepo's goal coming just 33 seconds before the end of regulation.

Sunday represents another opportunity to turn those early-season minutes into progress before Stetson returns home.

Sunday marks the third all-time meeting between Stetson and UTRGV and the second matchup between the programs in less than a year.

The sides played to a 1-1 draw in DeLand on Oct. 28, 2025. UTRGV currently owns a 1-0-1 advantage in the all-time series after earning a 2-0 victory in the first meeting in 2019.

Sunday will mark Stetson's first trip to Edinburg in the series.

UTRGV enters 2026 beginning a new chapter as an affiliate member of the Ohio Valley Conference after competing as an NCAA Division I independent last season.

The Vaqueros return nine players while welcoming 16 newcomers and were picked fifth in the OVC Preseason Poll. Senior Mouhamed Pouye was selected as an OVC Preseason Player to Watch, while fifth-year Eduardo De Oliveira joins Pouye as one of the team's captains.

Sunday serves as UTRGV's home opener after beginning the regular season Thursday on the road at West Florida.

Sunday's match will kick off at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT from the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex in Edinburg. The match will stream live domestically on ESPN+, with live statistics available through the men's soccer schedule page at GoHatters.com.

For the latest news and updates on Stetson men's soccer, visit GoHatters.com and follow @StetsonMSoc and @StetsonHatters on social media for additional content throughout the 2026 season.