Men's Soccer 3/6/2026 2:27:00 PM BLHS Sports Information

Men’s Soccer Season Ends in Penalty Shootout Heartbreak in State Semifinals

ROUND ROCK — The Bishop Lynch men's soccer team saw its season come to a heartbreaking end Thursday afternoon, falling to Parish Episcopal 4-3 in a penalty shootout in the TAPPS Division I State Semifinals at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex.

The Friars battled back from a 1-0 deficit to force overtime and eventually penalty kicks, but the Panthers converted their sixth attempt in sudden death to secure the victory.

The semifinal matchup featured the champions of the two districts, and it showed on the pitch as both teams delivered an impressive performance. Parish Episcopal struck first in the opening half on a free kick that bounced around inside the box before finding the back of the net.

That would be the lone goal of the first half, despite several quality chances created by both sides.

After regrouping at halftime, the Friars returned to the field with a more aggressive approach in the second half.

Despite generating multiple opportunities, Bishop Lynch did not find the equalizer until the final 15 minutes of regulation. Freshman Raphael Reagins made a brilliant individual run down the left side, beating the final Panther defender before finishing inside the box to level the match at 1-1.

Neither team could find a winner before the end of regulation, sending the contest into two 10-minute golden-goal overtime periods.

In the first overtime, Parish Episcopal used its man advantage to create several dangerous chances, but strong goalkeeping from Luke Hildenbrand kept the Friars alive as the score remained tied heading into the final overtime period.

Bishop Lynch appeared to control the second overtime session, maintaining possession and creating several quality looks on goal. However, neither team could break through, sending the thrilling semifinal to a penalty-kick shootout.

Moises Bernabe converted the Friars' opening penalty with a strike to the right side of the net. After the next two Bishop Lynch attempts were turned away, Parish Episcopal built a 3-1 advantage.

But the Friars refused to fold.

Hildenbrand made two clutch saves in goal, while Noah Chac and Nate Nammari each converted their attempts to pull Bishop Lynch back into the shootout.

With both teams tied after five kicks, the shootout moved into sudden death. After a Friar miss, the Panthers converted their sixth attempt to secure the semifinal victory.

Despite the heartbreaking finish, Bishop Lynch completed a remarkable season that included a district championship and a return to the TAPPS State Tournament. The Friars' run marked another major step forward for a program that has quickly reestablished itself as one of the top teams in TAPPS Division I.

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