Fulton, MO. - Principia traveled to Fulton this Saturday and took on the Westminster Blue Jays. Both sides played a disciplined, hard-fought match, and it ended in a 0-0 tie.
From the get-go, Westminster had most of the attack, finding success out wide, and had seven shots in the first half, opposed to Principia's 3. Principia struggled offensively. The best scoring opportunity of the game came off a beautifully chipped pass from Gastuvas Balukake, up and over the Westminster back line, to Patrick Sherman, who ripped the shot wide. Delays Glokpor also had a few dangerous-looking runs to keep the Westminster defense on their toes.
The most significant accomplishments for Principia in this game came from their composure on the defensive side of the ball. It was a whole team effort, and many substitutions were made to keep players' legs fresh. Dangerous crosses flew into the 18-yard box, but Principia's back line did an excellent job winning balls and staying organized.
Substituting in at defense was Johannes Keller, who had a couple of spectacular goal-line clearances, which kept Principia's hopes of a clean sheet alive. Emiliano Gonzalez had an exceptional game in goal, four of his thirteen saves coming in double overtime. His last stop of the game was a fingertip save to tip the ball wide, but the ball wasn't out of play yet. Captain EG Pierce made a diving slide tackle to get the ball away to safety.
It was a game that could have gone south instantly, but Principia absorbed every bit of attack that Westminster threw at them. A tie on the score sheet, but things are looking up Principia Men's Soccer.
Coach Said It:
"I am happy with our team's performance tonight. The guys battled the whole game and never let up. We have some work to do regarding generating more offense, but there were a significant number of small wins across the board on a team level. I am proud of each guy's story of effort, determination, and fight," Coach Semnacher said.
Up Next: The men will visit Greenville University Panthers next Tuesday, September 28th, at Francis Soccer Field.
