ANDERSON, S.C. – The Men's Soccer team (4-7-3, 2-5-3 South Atlantic Conference) took the short road trip to Anderson, South Carolina, in preparation for their final SAC matchup against the Anderson University Trojans. The Trojans, who share the exact same record as Newberry, looked to get into the win column to end their season, but they would have to battle with the Wolves, as they looked to get into the win column themselves after falling to Lenoir-Rhyne October 22.
Head Coach Justin Cook and Assistant Head Coach Zach Watson knew the challenges that would come with playing a team that is just as hungry for a win as much as the visitors, but with the team wanting to build on the season and prepare for the next steps, a win would be the only result the team looked to obtain.
The first half from Anderson, South Carolina, was a defensive battle for both teams. The Wolves would come out as being the more offensive of the two teams as at the end of the first half, Newberry held the advantage in shots and shots on target, with the Wolves firing eight shots with five on goal while the Trojans fired six with one on goal.
A relatively quiet first half for senior goalkeeper Pablo Cubas (Playa Del Hombre, Spain) as he only had one shot to save, but with a second half coming where both teams would be searching for goals to ensure a victory, the Wolves prepared for a second half slugfest in what would be the last half of the season.
The second half would pick up where the first half left off: emphasis on the defensive end and working up the attack to get quality shots. Newberry would see the first attempts at the goal, as shots by senior Nestor Nunez (Madrid, Spain) and sophomore Ferran Macian (Valencia, Spain) would be fired off but blocked by the opposition.
The tide would turn tremendously as within the next two minutes, the Trojans would find the back of the net off of a header from a free kick to put the match at 1-0. With time ticking down and not a lot of time left for the squad, the Wolves kicked the offensive effort into overdrive as they looked to furiously even the score. Newberry would have their chances, but the team could not prevail as the Anderson Trojans would defeat the Wolves by a score of 1-0.
After finishing the season 4-8-3 with a 2-6-3 record in conference play, Men's Soccer looks to finally be able to rest and recover from the long season but continue to build and grow in the offseason so that next year, the Wolves will be on the hunt in the South Atlantic Conference.
