The No. 1 seed in the Lone Star Conference is available for the taking, but the Laredo Heat SC is staying focused on the opponent rather than the big picture in a battle atop the table at 7:30 p.m. on the road against the Brownsville FC Explorers.

“One of the things the boys have done extremely well all summer is take it one game at a time,” Heat head coach John Powell said. “They haven’t overlooked opponents. Brownsville is one of the toughest teams we have played.”

With only one or two games remaining for each team in the final week of the regular season, the Heat (8-1-1, 25 points) are still the only one to secure a playoff berth. Laredo needs only one win in its final two matches or draws in both games to guarantee the top seed.

The Heat also remain alive for the No. 1 seed in the entire 95-team National Premier Soccer League. Winning out would guarantee the team finishes at least No. 6 overall, and adding a loss from the Jacksonville Armada FC U-23 is all it would take to be the top seed in the South Region.

Brownsville (7-3-0, 21 points) is sitting in second place and ranks just two behind the Heat with a plus-20 goal differential. Still, the Explorers need a win in one of their final two matches to guarantee a spot in the postseason. Anything short of that would require help for them to advance.

“We know we’re prepping for a very good team with a lot to play for,” Powell said. “This is another playoff team. We know we’ve qualified, and I guarantee Brownsville will be in the playoffs, so it’s essentially another playoff game for us.”

Since losing 3-1 in San Antonio on June 15, the Explorers are on a roll. They bounced back with a 6-2 win over Austin then got revenge on the Corinthians FC of San Antonio (7-2-2, 23 points) in a big way with an 8-0 victory on Saturday.

“They are on a high right now. They are feeling themselves,” Powell said. “We need to make sure we go in there and are disciplined, trust the game plan and execute. We know they are dangerous, but we also believe in what we’ve done the last couple days of training. We are ready. We’re looking forward to the matchup.”

The Heat are also coming off a strong offensive performance matching their season high for scoring and picking up a fourth straight victory with a 5-1 win over the CF10 Houston FC. They were led by braces from Jordan Mase and Kristian Colaci and a goal from Daisuke Takanaka.

Colaci is up to a team-leading eight goals as he has scored in five of his past six appearances, and Mase has two braces in the past three matches. Erwin Regules rejoined the team three games ago and has contributed on a goal in each outing since with two assists and a deep outlet pass to set up another score.

“We have a bunch of guys scoring goals right now. We have guys in the starting 11 contributing and guys who are coming off the bench,” Powell said. “We’re getting goals from not just one guy. Offensively we are clicking. We want to keep that rolling, but we will always maintain a focus on being disciplined.  You’re never going to lose a game if you have a clean sheet. It’s great to score the goals, but we want to make sure we remain disciplined and committed to defending well and being organized.”

The Heat picked up one of their five shutouts winning 2-0 over Brownsville in the home opener and second game of the season. However, it was a hard-earned clean sheet as the Explorers reached double figures in corner kicks and dominated possession during the second half in a furious comeback effort.

“They were very good against us at home,” Powell said. “I don’t know if the score was truly indicative of how the whole 90 minutes went.”

“It’s going to be a good test for sure. Brownsville is a good side,” Heat goalkeeper Connor Durant said. “I know we got the best of them in the first game, but they dominated the whole second half that we played them. It will be a good, tough game. They are coming off an 8-0 game, so they have to have all the confidence in the world. If we go out there and play our game, we should be alright.”

Brownsville has continued to showcase consistent pressure, especially the past two games. With 14 goals the past two matches, it has stormed to the lead in the conference with 3.3 goals per game overtaking the Heat who are now second with 2.9 goals. The Explorers rank fourth in the NPSL both with their average and with their 33 total goals.

“They play a very expansive style, so it is hard,” Powell said. “You are going to be looking at a lot of numbers-up situations for them. It will be all about how we manage those situations and how we play out of transitions. I’m looking forward to it.”

Slowing down Brownsville is a tall order, but the Heat are one of the teams best suited for the task. Their 0.7 goals allowed per contest ranks third in the NPSL only 0.03 behind the two teams ahead of them. Laredo has allowed more than a goal only once all season, and the second goal in that match did not come until added time. Brownsville ranks fifth in the conference at 1.3 goals allowed per match.

“We’ll definitely have to be on our toes a lot more than usual,” Durant said. “If we play our game, our back line will be just fine.”

Following Wednesday’s road trip, the Heat return home to close out the regular season with an 8 p.m. game Saturday at the TAMIU Soccer Complex against San Antonio. Tickets are $5 for general admission and $20 for VIP, and children 12 and under get in free.

Visit laredoheatsc.com and follow @laredoheatsc on social media to stay up to date on the latest news. Any youth players interested in joining the academy can visit laredoheatscyouth.com for more information.