TYLER -- The UT Tyler men’s soccer team will look to extend its best-ever season on Friday afternoon when the Patriots play Randolph in the Round of 16 of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championships at 7 p.m. Central on Farquhar Field in Redlands, Calif.

The Patriots (17-2-2) advanced to the sectional round with shutouts over No. 20 Oglethorpe and No. 5 Trinity last week in the first two rounds of the NCAA Championships.  UT Tyler is making its third trip to the national tournament, but the Patriots have never advanced past the second round, falling to Trinity in 2008 and tying the Tigers in 2010 allowing Trinity to advance in a shootout.  

The Patriots, currently ranked No. 22, bring a well-balanced combination into the “Sweet  16,” having scored 51 goals on the season while yielding just 14 to opponents – including zero goals allowed so far in the NCAA tournament.

American Southwest Conference tournament MVP Victor Almendariz leads the Patriots with 10 goals and 12 assists on the season. Jake Urbaniak, the ASC Defensive Player of the Year, has eight goals and Elijah Shipman has scored seven times.

Tending the net for UT Tyler, Sergio Gardea has made 58 saves, including eight against Trinity on Sunday, in almost 2,000 minutes in goal this season. While facing 188 shots, he has completed 12 shutouts for the Patriots.

Randolph (18-5) downed No. 2 Christopher Newport and DeSales to earn its way to the sectional round. The WildCats, champions of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, are led offensively by Corey Sindle’s 15 goals on the season.  Nick Cornell has chipped in eight more while Jacob Lusczek has a team-high seven assists. 

The Patriots and Wildcats had no common opponents during the 2011 season.

The UT Tyler-Randolph winner will play the winner of the No. 13 Redlands and Calvin at 8 p.m. Saturday for a trip to the Final Four in San Antonio.