The Bethel men's soccer team fell to the formidable University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds, 5-1, in a tough matchup at home. The loss to the No. 17-rated Blugolds moves the Royals to a record of 2-3-0.
How It Happened:
- The opening minutes saw an unfortunate start for the Royals as contested play in their own 18-yard-box led to a penalty kick goal at 1:43. Just nine minutes later, the Blugolds charged down the field, and a well-placed volley positioned them perfectly for a neat header goal. Eau Claire shut down Bethel's 11 shots and opportunities to close out the first half, 2-0.
- The Blugolds extended their lead early on in the second half, scoring three more unanswered goals at 49:36, 51:20, and 64:00.
- But the Royals refused to let up and responded in the 73rd minute as Edin Ngyuen received the ball from a throw-in and kickstarted the offense. He cut a pass to Dan Herzog, who chipped the ball up and over the heads of the Blugold defenders with the outside of his foot. The ball landed at the feet of Jack Gerber in front of the net, and he drilled it into the bottom left corner to get the Royals on the board.
- Still, it wasn't enough as the Blugolds efficiently put a stop to any other offensive opportunities the Royals tried to put together, and BU was defeated, 5-1.
What's Next:
The Royals will be back in action this Saturday, Sept. 14, when they travel to Crown College to take on the Polars in a non-conference matchup. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m..
