NEWBERRY, S.C. — The Newberry College Men's Soccer faced a big matchup in the form of their South Atlantic Conference foes from up the road, the Mars Hill Lions, in a game that could significantly shape the standings of the conference tournament. The Wolves (4-5-3, 2-3-3 South Atlantic Conference) look to gain ground in the conference against the Lions (6-6-2, 3-5-1 South Atlantic Conference) as they look to improve on the 1-1 draw that they earned against their previous opponents, the Tusculum Pioneers. With the regular season coming to a close in the next week, Head Coach Justin Cook and his men look to capitalize on the opportunity to cement themselves for a long postseason run.
Kicking off the match on a perfect cool evening for soccer, the first half would be a testament of how defensive both teams wanted to come out for this first half. Even though both teams would take their chances and attack in numbers (Nine shots for the Lions to three for Newberry), the goalkeepers would be the story of the half. The man in between the sticks for the Wolves, senior goalkeeper Pablo Cubas (Playa Del Hombre, Spain), would come up big with five saves for Newberry to keep it level and take a defense-oriented first half into halftime.
With the second half commencing in the short 15 minute period, the Wolves and Lions looked to, both, hitting the ground running in terms of offensive production and get on the score sheet. Luckily for the crowd in attendance, the match would continue to be a battle for possession until the 51st minute.
Faced with a corner kick, the Wolves defended the initial set piece well, but an unlucky bounce would see the goal roll into the corner for the visiting team. With a one goal deficit and almost 40 minutes left, the game would then see an increase in motivation and energy, much to the fan's excitement. The Wolves battled, seeing every chance as an opportunity to make a difference in the match with one run in behind the defense or with every shot that they would take in the second half (Newberry would take four shots for a total of seven in the match).
The goalkeeper for the Lions would also see him tame the building of momentum in the match with two key saves for Mars Hill as opportunities in the second half from junior forward Uriel Zarracan (Bluffton, S.C.) and sophomore winger Henok Awoke (Marietta, Ga.) would be dealt with by the keeper. Newberry College would fight all the way to the death, but the visitors from Mars Hill would eventually see this bout out with a final score of 1-0.
Men's Soccer will return for Senior Day and the last home match of the regular season on October 22 at Smith Road Complex, as they take on the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears at 1:30 PM.
