Leavenworth, Kan – McPherson College faced the Bethany College Swedes on Wednesday night for a KCAC battle under the lights. McPherson looked to rebound following a tough 7-4 loss to Saint Mary the previous Saturday, while the Swedes looked to find momentum midway through their year after suffering two consecutive losses to KCAC opponents by a combined score of 8-0.
The Basics
Location: Paul Family Field at McPherson Stadium
Score: MC 4, BC 3
Records: MC 4-5-1 (2-2-1 KCAC), BC 3-5-0 (1-3-0 KCAC)
How it Happened
The Bulldogs maintained a great deal of possession in the first half, allowing for them to find two goals in the first 45 minutes of action.
Graylen Bowman struck first for the Bulldogs as he found himself in the right place at the right time. Bowman was in front of goal when he took possession after a shot was deflected right to him by Bethany's goalkeeper; wasting no time, Bowman blasted his shot on frame and scored the opening goal for the 1-0 lead.
Just before the end of the first half,
Rawson Harris and
Caden Hardgrave connected for McPherson's second goal of the match. Taking it all the way from the Bulldogs' defensive third, Hardgrave made his way through Bethany defenders all the way to the Swedes' 18-yard box. Hardgrave delivered his pass to Harris who then galloped towards frame and ripped his shot inside the far-side post to take the 2-0 lead for McPherson.
Seconds into the second half, the Swedes managed a goal on the combination of Richard Livingston and Steven McQueen. Similar to McPherson's second goal, McQueen passed to Livingston from close range in front of the net and Livingston's one-timer snuck underneath the crossbar into the net, cutting the Bulldogs' lead in half at 2-1. In the 72
nd minute, McPherson's
Sijmen Van Der Zee earned back the two-score lead as Harris' perfectly delivered pass found Van Der Zee who fired his shot off on frame and into the net for the 3-1 lead.
In the 82
nd minute, McPherson extend their lead as
Rawson Harris drew a foul within the box, allowing for
Nathan Van Wyck to score on the ensuing penalty kick for the 4-1 advantage.
The Swedes made the last minute interesting as they had rattled off two quick goals from Mordecai Masakwa and Baptista Amofa, but the Bulldogs held on strong for their lead at 4-3.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will be back at home this Saturday on October 4
th as they take on the Ottawa University Braves at McPherson Stadium; kickoff is set for 3:30 PM.
