NEWBERRY, S.C. – The Men's Soccer team (4-7-3, 1-4-3 South Atlantic Conference) faced off against the visitors from Lenoir-Rhyne, anticipating a victory on the day while also celebrating the seniors for Senior Day. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the stage was set for what was an important game for the Wolves in terms of the seeding for conference tournament play, with Newberry wanting to punch their ticket with a win today. The energy was high, the mood was positive, and the team were all in good spirits with the pre-game festivities, but with an important match ahead, the team would need to switch gears to ensure victory in the afternoon's match.

The match would start off on the defensive for the Wolves to start the first half, with the Bears giving the defense of Newberry College work to do. Senior goalkeeper Pablo Cubas (Playa Del Hombre, Spain) would have early work, seeing nine shots within the first 13 minutes of the game, saving four of them. Lenoir-Rhyne would finally see the back of the net (or side) after seeing the ball hit the post before hitting the left inside of the net. The visitors would continue the offensive pressure, firing four shots with two saves before the Wolves would get a shot off by senior midfielder Nestor Nunez (Madrid, Spain). Each team would trade shots before the teams before Cook would use his bench to give his starters a breather because going into the half would be an uphill battle to conquer the Bears.

The second half would commence, but Lenoir-Rhyne would come out the gates the same way they started, shooting four shots within the first 10 minutes of the half with Cubas saving three. The possession would be dominated by the visitors as with a lead, they could focus on building more slowly, forcing the Wolves to work harder to gain the ball. After almost 20 minutes of play, the Wolves would see their first offensive possession resulting in a shot by Nunez, which was saved. After another Bears shot, the Wolves would pick up the momentum and see shots fired from sophomores Ethan Orozco (Dallas, Texas), Nattnael Zerai (Skara, Sweden), and Henok Awoke (Marietta, Ga.), which the latter would hit the top of the woodwork. The Bears would see another shot, but the rest of the match would be dominated by the effort of the Wolves. Junior Uriel Zarracan (Bluffton, S.C.) and freshman Reece Kilpin (Sydney, Australia) would have attempts at the goal, but it would be too little, too late for Newberry as the Bears would claim victory in the match after 90 minutes.

The Wolves will look to finish the season on a strong note next Wednesday as they hit the road for a short trip to Anderson University to face the Trojans in South Atlantic Conference play, scheduled for a 7:30 PM kickoff.