LOUISVILLE, KY – On a frigid Tuesday night in Kentucky, the Principia Men's Soccer team battled it out with Spalding University to determine the direction the end of their season would go. The Panthers aimed to build off their previous win with another strong performance.
Spalding came out with more energy and maintained a 68% possession advantage throughout the first half. Strong defending led by center backs
Leander Linsler and
EG Pierce prevented the Golden Eagles from breaking through.
Left back
Jimmy Woodrow had his best game of the season, intercepting key passes, dropping to provide cover for teammates, and playing calm and collected while on the ball. His hard work paid off in the 44th minute when
Liam Peschke burst down the right wing and whipped in a dangerous cross that was bundled into the path of the preying Woodrow. The ball was coolly placed into the bottom corner of the Spalding's net for his first collegiate goal, granting the Panthers a 1-0 lead at half.
In the second half, the Panthers came back with a strong desire to increase their lead. Spalding waited patiently for opportunities to break through the Principia lines, but the Panthers continued to stand strong. The Golden Eagles had several high danger shots on goal in the final ten minutes as they pushed for the equalizer. Panther goalkeeper
Torben Rehnert was up to the task and turned away all seven shots he faced on the night for his sixth clean sheet of the season. Rehnert's save of the game came in the waning minutes on a hard shot from the just outside the box that he dove to his right and deflected off the post and out.
With three minutes remaining, Spalding built another promising attack, but Principia was able to quickly counter. The speedy
Wizzy Afrani streaked towards the Golden Eagles' net with
Diego Alas for support. After drawing his defender towards him, Afrani played the ball to Alas, granting him his moment to seal the deal. Alas did not disappoint, weaving past a defender and sending a laser past the keeper for his first of the season.
Principia's 2-0 victory gave them a season sweep over Spalding and back-to-back shutouts. The Panthers will need to carry this momentum into their final home game of the regular season against league-leading Webster.
Up Next: Join the Panthers for Senior Day this Saturday at 3:30 pm as they look to hand Webster their first conference loss of the season!
