Photo by Jakob Komel
McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College men's soccer team kept things rolling on Homecoming with a 7-0 win over Avila University, giving them three wins in a row, and moving their overall record to 3-1-1 and their conference mark to 3-1.
The Bulldogs were never really threatened in this game as the Eagles managed to place just shot on goal the entire game. That shot came after a goal by the Bulldogs, and with the wind at their backs, the Eagles tried to surprise the Bulldog keeper, Jose Alonso (Sr. Wichita, Kan.), on the kickoff. It didn't catch Alonso off guard, and he made the easy save.
On the offensive side, the Bulldogs had their way with the Eagle defense. They took a whopping 44 shots in the game, with 17 of them on frame. The Bulldogs had so many quality looks in the opening half, but finished the first 45 minutes with just three goals. The first goal came in the 23rd minute when Marcus Fernandes (Sr. Rio De Janeiro, Brazil), found the back of the net, assisted by Nhlakanipho Methula (Jr. Durban, South Africa).
A minute and a half later, the Bulldogs were awarded a penalty kick, and Fernandes slotted the ball past the keeper into the bottom left corner for 2-0 lead. Right before halftime, Justin Clemons (Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo.) threaded a pass to Jorge Abdiel Ramos Hernandez, who fired the ball past the Eagle keeper.
Nineteen minutes into the second half, the Bulldogs struck again, this time off the boot of Rodrigo De Castro (Sr. Rio De Janeiro, Brazil), on a corner kick, assisted by Methula and Sean Thomson (Jr. Dorset, England). In the 70th minute, Fernandes scored an unassisted goal, completing the hat trick. The sixth goal, and the third of the second half came from Carlos Reyna (Sr. Hutchinson, Kan.) assisted by Joe Chapman (So. Ramsbottom, England). And finally, with twenty seconds remaining on the clock, De Castro scored his second goal of the game on a blast from the left side, unassisted.
Bulldog head coach, Doug Quint, remarked, "Today we moved the ball well and created a lot of dangerous moments in the final third. It was good to see us find the net with some of those opportunities."
The Bulldogs will be back in action next Saturday, at home against the Bethany College Swedes. Kick-off is slated for 2:30 pm following the women's game.
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