TYLER, Texas - The University of Texas at Tyler men’s soccer team (12-3-4) won its first-ever NCAA Championship tournament game on Thursday night by blanking the University of Dallas (16-4-1), 4-0, at the Citizen’s 1st Bank-Perkins Soccer Complex.

The game marked the sixth consecutive shut out and 10th of the season for the Patriots. It was also the first NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship victory by any team from the American Southwest Conference.

The Patriots got on the scoreboard first when senior Adam McAlpine (Kingwood, Texas) connected with senior Michael Kendall (Houston, Texas) in the 19th minute for what would go onto to be the game-winning goal.

In the 34th minute, freshman Kevin Gansert (Arlington, Texas) would score his second goal of the season with an assist from freshman Jake Urbaniak (Ft. Worth, Texas) to extend the Patriots’ lead to 2-0.

Just over three minutes later, Gansert would score again this time off of a pass from sophomore Ryan Ewing (Ft. Worth, Texas) to extend UT Tyler’s lead to three.

At intermission, the Patriots maintained a 3-0 advantage.

Throughout the second half, UT Tyler clamped down on the Crusaders defensively, allowing them only one shot on goal in the half.

With just 39 seconds left in the game, Gansert would record the Patriots’ first hat trick of the season as he headed a ball past Dallas’ Chris Sumcizk to cap the score at 4-0.

UT Tyler outshot Dallas 33-3 in the contest and took seven more corner kicks than the Crusaders.

The Patriots will now advance to the second round of the 2008 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship tournament. UT Tyler will travel to San Antonio, where they will take on the nation’s number one team, Trinity (Tex.), on Sunday at 6 p.m.