The Holy Cross men’s soccer team came into their game Wednesday night with a 1-1 record, looking to build on a 3-0 win against Indiana East on Saturday at Eaton High School. The Saints traveled to play the 0-3 Maple Leafs of Goshen College for this crucial non-conference game early in the season.
Holy Cross showed purpose and tact from the first kickoff, taking a quick 1-0 lead through the boot of forward Gabe Nyenka. The senior scored the goal unassisted. However, the real hero of the first half was not Nyenka. Through outstanding positioning, the Saints midfield dominated. The Maple Leafs to a measly five shots in the first half, failing to put pressure on junior goalkeeper Armin Mahmutovic.
The score remained at 1-0 Saints going into halftime. The defensive battle continued deep into a second half that saw Holy Cross consistently playing in the Maple Leafs defensive half and forcing tough plays from the Goshen center backs. Their line would finally break in the 75th minute. Freshman midfielder Anthony Panayiotou scored the insurance marker, giving the Saints a 2-0 lead. Junior defender Martin Von Thun notched the assist.
The game would finish a decisive 2-0 for the Saints. Mahmutovic made three saves to hold down the fort. Holy Cross finished with 11 shots to Goshen’s seven. The Maple Leafs only managed to put three shots on net all game. Holy Cross took seven corners to Goshen’s five, as well. The Saints undeniably controlled the pace of the game and consistently executed at a pace Goshen struggled to match.
Other notable performers included junior Isaac Filippo who recorded four shots on his own. Von Thun recorded two of his own and was a rock on defense for the Saints.
The Saints have now improved their record to 2-1, albeit without any conference play thus far. The Saints will be back in action this Saturday at 2 p.m. at Huntington College. Holy Cross will look to continue building momentum before conference play begins. After falling 2-0 in their season opener, the Saints have outscored opponents 5-0 over the last 180 minutes.
