The Bethel men's soccer team defeated the Wheaton College Thunder in the last match of the Bob Baptista Invitational in Wheaton, Ill., 2-1. The victory moves the Royals to a season record of 2-2-0.
How It Happened:
- The Thunder got off to a strong start, scoring just four minutes into the first half after a free kick put them in a strong scoring position. An unlucky bounce just in front of goalkeeper Griffin Blokker sent the ball skidding into the Royals' net.
- But, the Royals answered back as Eli Duke disrupted a pass between Wheaton players and came charging towards the net. At the right moment, he laid off a pass to Jordan Oberholtzer, who one-timed the ball into the back of the Wheaton net.
- The rest of the half saw tense competition between the two teams, but neither was able to tally another goal. But Bethel came out swinging in the second half, breaking onto the scoreboard again at 58:10. Oberholtzer again contributed to the success, dribbling down the field before delivering a smooth pass to Jordan Ross on the left side of the 18-yard-box. Ross spied Nathan Hunt across the net and teed up a perfect chip, and Hunt came crashing in, knocking the ball past the Thunder keeper for a header goal. 2-1, Royals.
- The Thunder fought to answer back, but the Royals' defense and keeper Blokker held things together for the remaining minutes, with Blokker making several critical saves in the final minutes of the game to seal the final score at 2-1, BU.
What's Next:
The Royals will host the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds at Ona Orth Complex next Wednesday, Sept. 11, in their second home game of the season. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m..
