Louisville, KY – Principia Men's Soccer (2-4 in SLIAC) traveled to Spalding (3-1-2 SLIAC) for their penultimate regular season conference game on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff was pushed back two hours due to storms in the area, but conditions were clear with a consistent crosswind by the start of the match.
A Look at the Game – Principia put forth a strong effort against a quality Spalding side. The Panthers failed to capitalize on the few chances they created and left the door open for the Golden Eagles in critical moments of the game.
Liam Peschke stepped up as Principia's reserve goalkeeper with
Elias Simpson out. Ten minutes in,
Connor Goering split the Spalding back line with a through ball to
Walter Lazo. Lazo put a shot on goal, but the Spalding goalkeeper, Trevor Massa, made a good save to deny the chance. Principia found a few more chances in the half, but none quite as threatening as the first opportunity. In the 14
th minute, the Golden Eagles earned a free kick outside of the Panther box. Chris Encarnacion served the ball to the back post where Ahmadou Gueye rose above the Principia defenders to nod in a header (Spalding 1, Principia 0). Ahmadou Gueye found the goal again with another header in the 28
th minute on a corner served into the box by Encarnacion. The first half ended 2-0 in favor of Spalding.
The Panthers brought good energy into the second half, looking for a goal to build momentum, but their efforts were stymied by the Golden Eagles. In the 65
th minute, Spalding got a fortunate break. Coen Beach received the ball on the left side of the Panther box and delivered a shot on goal.
Liam Peschke made the save but the ball glanced off of his hands and narrowly crossed the line before he could recover the ball (Spalding 3, Principia 0). Principia neutralized Spalding's attack in the remaining 25 minutes and fought hard, but ultimately couldn't create enough chances to get back into the game. Final: Spalding 3, Principia 0.
Good to Know
- Liam Peschke played goalkeeper for the Panthers and made 4 saves (his first career game at the position)
- Seth Arens and Juniour Baraza each excelled in new positions in the back line
Coach Quote
"This is a frustrating result because we felt that we had chances to score in the first half and we let in a couple of soft goals that could have been cleared, so the game got away from us. The most important thing I saw today is that we are staying true to our values as a team. The men are demonstrating their strong character with each game. This season has tested us in many different ways and the adversity that we're facing now will make us stronger as we move forward."
Box Score: https://principiaathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/stats/2020-2021/spalding-university/boxscore/6940
Up Next- On Saturday, April 17
th at 3:00pm, Principia will host Iowa Wesleyan on the Principia College Game Field in Elsah, IL.
