Grinnell, Iowa – A pair of late second-half goals lifted the Bethel University men's soccer team to a 2-1 road win over Grinnell College on Friday afternoon. The Royals erased a first-half deficit with goals in the 79th and 82nd minutes to earn their third victory of the season and improve to 3-0-2 overall.

Grinnell opened the scoring in the 28th minute, when Jaxon Willoughby converted off a feed from Ryan Huang. Despite consistent pressure and multiple corners from the Pioneers, Bethel goalkeeper Griffin Blokker kept the Royals within striking range with four key saves, including two early stops on Willoughby.

After halftime, Bethel's adjustments and energy began to turn the tide. Sophomore Carter Sheard netted the equalizer in the 79th minute, and just three minutes later, senior Nathan Hunt gave the Royals the lead for good with a composed finish in the 82nd.

The Royals closed out the final minutes with strong defensive play to preserve the win.

Scoring Summary:

• GRN – 27:08 | Jaxon Willoughby (Assist: Ryan Huang)

• BET – 78:01 | Carter Sheard

• BET – 81:08 | Nathan Hunt

Notables:

• Griffin Blokker finished with 4 saves

• Bethel improves to 3-0-2

• Royals scored twice in a 3-minute span to complete the comeback

Next Up:

Bethel is back in action tomorrow (Saturday) with a quick turnaround, heading to Simpson College for a 1:00 PM kickoff in Indianola, Iowa.