HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The William Carey men's soccer team opened its 2026 campaign in dominant fashion Thursday night, rolling past Texas Wesleyan University 6-0 at Danny Owens Field.
"Dominant performance tonight in our opening game," said Head Coach
Barry Farrell. "Our squad is deep this year, and I am excited to see us improve as a team throughout the season."
The Crusaders threatened early when
Daniel Mulero launched a floating effort from just beyond midfield that nearly found the net, only to ricochet off the right post.
It did not take long for Carey to break through.
In the 18th minute,
Souleymane Balde won a loose ball in midfield and played it into open space for a streaking
Jean Danitanga. After collecting the pass in stride, he took a couple of touches before firing a shot into the back of the net to give the Crusaders a 1-0 advantage.
Mulero got on the scoresheet in spectacular fashion in the 31st minute. The midfielder curled a knuckling free kick into the top-right corner, doubling Carey's lead to 2-0.
The Crusaders struck again just five minutes later.
Kenson Pierre finished off a Mulero corner kick to make it 3-0, and Carey comfortably controlled possession for the remainder of the half to take the three-goal cushion into the break.
William Carey continued to press the attack in the second half and extended its lead in the 56th minute. Mulero collected the ball in the middle of the Texas Wesleyan half and delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Balde behind the defense. Balde rounded the goalkeeper with his first touch before calmly finishing from a tight angle to make it 4-0.
Despite holding a comfortable lead, the Crusaders never eased their intensity. Their relentless pressure paid off again when Mulero forced a turnover inside the Ram penalty area. He then pulled the ball back to an unmarked Danitanga, who tapped home his second goal of the evening to push the advantage to 5-0.
Fernando "Pirry" Cuesta Marin added the finishing touch to an impressive opening-night performance.
George Steers received the ball near the top of the box and threaded a pass through to Cuesta Marin at the penalty spot. The sophomore made no mistake, burying his shot into the top corner to account for the Crusaders' sixth and final goal of the match.
William Carey returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Louisiana Christian at Danny Owens Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
