THURSDAY'S SCORES
@DePaul 1,
Lindenwood 0
@Liberty 3, Saint Peter’s 2
@IUPUI 3,
Southern Indiana 1
@UIW 2, Omaha 1
Bradley 2,
@Chicago State 1
St. Bonaventure 2,
@HCU 0
SIUE 2, @Central Arkansas 1
@Eastern Illinois, Univ. of Chicago (canceled)
DEPAUL 1, LINDENWOOD 0
CHICAGO - Lindenwood men's soccer (0-0-1, 0-0-0 OVC) lost their opening match of the season in a low scoring match by a final score of 1-0 to Big East opponent DePaul University (1-0-0, 0-0-0 Big East) in Chicago, Ill.
Today's originals start time was at 1:00 p.m. but was moved to 10:00 a.m. due to heat.
Lions battled in the first half keeping DePaul off the scoreboard despite them having five shots against goalkeeper Gavin Roberts. The Blue Demons did have a shot off the goal post in the first half but the Lions' defense got the ball out quick to avoid the score.
Lindenwood's offense picked up the pace in the second half posting four of their five shots in the match. Jonathan Campbell had the only shot on goal for the Lions coming in the 60th minute but was saved by DePaul goalkeeper Gandhi Cruz.
DePaul broke the 0-0 tie late in the match during the 83rd minute when Callum Watts scored in the bottom left of the net. The Blue Demons had 11 shots throughout the match. DePaul also had eight corner kicks to just one by the Lions' offense.
LIBERTY 3, SAINT PETER'S 2
LYNCHBURG, Va. - Michael Huss scored with 32 seconds left propelling the Liberty Flames past the Saint Peter’s Peacocks 3-2, Thursday evening at Osborne Stadium.
Despite controlling play throughout the second half, the Flames could not break the stalemate in the 2023 season opener for both teams until late. Defender Carlos Trott lifted a ball from Liberty’s defensive end into space above the 18-yard box for forward Leo Conneh. The freshman pushed forward and sent a pass into the left side of the box for Huss, who ripped a shot into the back of the net for the game-winner.
Gabe Findley and Kyle Garnett also scored goals for the Flames, as the teams headed to halftime tied at 2-2.
After a tightly played first half, Liberty outshot Saint Peter’s, 13-4, in the second half.
Liberty moves to 1-0 on the season. Saint Peter’s drops to 0-1.
IUPUI 3, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
INDIANAPOLIS - University of Southern Indiana Men's Soccer allowed three first half goals in losing the season opener to Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis, 3-1, Thursday evening in Indianapolis. The Screaming Eagles start the year 0-1-0, while IUPUI begins 2023 1-0-0.
On a hot evening in Indianapolis, USI got off to a cold start and lost momentum when sophomore forward Jackson Mitchell (Newburgh, Indiana) was forced to leave the contest due to injury 29 seconds into the match.
IUPUI took advantage to build a 3-0 lead by halftime, capitalizing on three chances at the 8:29, 11:44, and 35:41. USI missed a pair of chances to cut into the deficit as a shot by junior forward Robert Schoenstein (Evansville, Indiana) went wide and a blast senior midfielder Nick Faddis (St. Louis, Missouri) was saved.
The Eagles' defense rebounded in the second half, holding the Jaguars scoreless in the final 45 minutes and provided USI's lone tally of the contest. USI junior defender Sam Benoist (Foristell, Missouri) put the Eagles on the scoreboard for the first time in 2023 and in the match, heading in a free kick from senior midfielder Marky Lara (Evansville, Indiana) at 76:55 to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Overall, IUPUI controlled the match with an 18-8 lead in shots, 11-3 on-goal. The Eagles and the Jaguars were tied, 4-4, in corner kicks.
UIW 2, OMAHA 1
SAN ANTONIO - Recap coming soon.
BRADLEY 2, CHICAGO STATE 1
CHICAGO - The Chicago State men's soccer team dropped a 2-1 lost to the Bradley Braves Thursday night at Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep in both teams season opener.
In the first few minutes of the half, Bradley controlled possession and forced the Cougars to sit back and defend in hopes of pulling a quick counter attack.
The Braves eventually broke through with a goal at the 21st minute mark to lead 1-0.
Both teams then went on a slew offensively as much of the play was held up in the midfield with Bradley holding a 1-0 lead at the break.
To start the second half, the Cougars produced several offensive opportunities. In the 70th minute, Dasha Curiel whipped a cross to Jaiye Sheppard who curled it into the back of the net to tie it up 1-1.
Bradley countered with a quick counter attack and the Braves converted a game-winning goal at 2-1.
ST. BONAVENTURE 2, HCU 0
HOUSTON - Houston Christian University started its 2023 campaign by dropping a hard-fought 2-0 decision to St. Bonaventure at Sorrels Field on Thursday night. A nearly two-hour lightning delay prior to kickoff proved ominous for the Huskies, who fell victim to two second-chance goals from the visitors.
HCU got off several quality chances in the first half as part of an 11-shot attack in the opening 45 minutes. It seemed though, the two teams were destined to go to the break scoreless.
The Bonnies capitalized late in the stanza however. Umechi Akuazaoku got a rebound off his own blast from straightaway on goal and then quickly pushed home the second attempt to give SBU a 1-0 lead with just six minutes remaining before the halftime horn.
St. Bonaventure would hold that lead for most of the second half before gaining a bit of cushion with another opportunistic tally in the 69th minute. A shot by Kenzo Brito slammed hard off the woodwork and was cleaned up promptly into the lower right corner by Rashid Aroza, giving the visitors from the Empire State a 2-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
HCU out-shot SBU 18-14, but seven of those 14 shots from the Bonnies were on target to just five for the Huskies, who fall to 0-1 on the season.
D'Alessandro Herrera led the Huskies with five total shots, two on goal, while playing all 90 minutes. Alex Aitken had five saves in seven chances, with just the two tough ones getting past in suffering the loss.
SIUE 2, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 1
CONWAY, Ark. - Stephen Moreira netted the first goal of his Cougar career late in the second half to lift the Cougars over Central Arkansas 2-1 in the season opener for both teams.
The Cougars have now won three straight in the series with Central Arkansas and are unbeaten in the last 11 consecutive games against the Bears (9-0-2).
Moreira's goal came in the 78th minute to snap a 1-1 tie. Moreira took a pass into the box from Ignacio Abeal Pou, turned and took a shot through traffic, connecting low and to the right of the goal.
SIUE grabbed the lead just over 13 minutes into the game and the same two players made it happen. Moreira sent a cross into the box, which was knocked down by a UCA defender, who was whistled for handball. The Cougars were awarded a penalty.
Pou then buried the kick to put SIUE up 1-0, a lead they carried into halftime.
The teams had to sit for an extra 10 minutes at half when a light standard failed.
Central Arkansas tied the game in the 62nd minute on a goal from Pietro Fontana.
Central Arkansas outshot SIUE 12-10, including a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. Sam Gomez made four saves in goal in the win.