Photo by Jakob Komel
McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College men's soccer team hosted the Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes at Paul Family Field on Saturday, in the second to last regular season game of the fall.
Each team began the game with eleven players on the pitch, but finished it with only 10. Both teams had zero points on the scoreboard at kickoff, and after 110 minutes of play, that's how it ended. The game got physical and chippy early. There were a total of 10 cards shown by the center official, eight with a yellow hue, and two of the red variety. One of the KWU defenders was shown a straight red for tackling a Bulldog attacker "cleats up" and sent off. The Bulldog red card cam in the first overtime session, when Anthony Bernal (Sr. McKinney, Texas) was shown his second yellow card in the game.
All of the cards overshadowed what was a well played game by both sides. The Bulldogs were much more possession oriented while the Coyotes tended to play the ball forward more quickly and directly. The McPherson lads finished with 20 total shots, but placed only four on frame. The Coyotes had just 11 shots and three on goal.
The Bulldogs had three quality chances late in regulation, and then in the first overtime session. Carlos Reyna (Sr. Hutchinson, Kan.) hit a ball from the left side of the box from about 12 yards out. He hit it near post, but the Coyote goal keeper got just enough of a finger on it to deflect it off the post. Then in overtime, on a corner kick, a shot by Jorge Abdiel Ramos Hernandez (So. Jalisco, Mexico) hit a ball from the six that was kept out of the goal by the near post defender. Then on the rebound, the keeper blocked a point blank shot by Marcus Fernandes (Sr. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).
Jose Alonso (Sr. Wichita, Kan.) was in goal for the Bulldogs, recording three saves, and preserving the clean sheet.
"As a team we created enough chances to score goals and win games this season", said Bulldog head coach Doug Quint. "However, have to get more clinical in the front of frame to find the back of the net. Today was a good example of that."Â
The tie puts the Bulldog record at 6-1-2 overall, and 6-1-1 in KCAC games. The Bulldogs were right above the Coyotes in the KCAC standings in second place, and the draw will keep them there. They will wrap up the fall portion of their schedule on November 14, when they host the Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles, the KCAC's top team, for a 7:30 pm match at Paul Family Field.
