ELSAH, IL – The Principia Men's Soccer team came into Saturday afternoon's home contest against Rockford University looking for both their first win and first goal of the season. By the end of the game, they had secured both thanks to two goals from
Reginald Kihwele.
The first half ended scoreless, but Principia had more possession and shots than Rockford, including three quality scoring chances from forward
Effenberg Joya. The Panthers knew that it was only a matter of time before a shot would find the back of the net, and they came into the second half looking to build on their chances.
Finally, in the 69th minute,
Nana Koranteng played a beautiful ball to Kihwele who slotted the ball home under the keeper to break the deadlock. Right after the goal, Panther goalkeeper
Torben Rehnert made a great reaction save off a corner to preserve the 1-0 lead. In the 89th minute,
Diego Alas made a nice run into the box and delivered a cross that hit the defender's hand to win the Panthers a penalty. Kihwele then stepped up and doubled the lead with a composed finish. Rehnert earned his first clean sheet of the season and tenth of his Principia career.
Assistant coach Chaz Orlando said afterwards, "We came in with a plan to play possession and followed through by possessing the ball well. We are grateful to get in the win column, but still have work to do on our attacking prowess and our conditioning. Don't be surprised if you see us running hill sprints around campus to get our team fitter and faster than our competitors."
Up Next: The Panthers have a week to prepare for their next match when they welcome University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to Elsah on Saturday at 3:00 pm.
