WAVERLY, Iowa – The Bethel University men's soccer team battled Wartburg College through a tied opening half Tuesday evening before the Knights pulled away late for a 3-1 non-conference victory at Salzwedel Field.
Wartburg opened the scoring in the 20th minute, but the Royals responded quickly. Less than two minutes later, James Oberholtzer found the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season off an assist from Owen Burshem, leveling the match at 1-1 in the 22nd minute.
The score remained even heading into halftime. Bethel generated seven shots in the opening 45 minutes, putting four on goal, while the Royals' defense kept Wartburg from adding to its early tally.
The Knights increased their pressure after the break and eventually broke the tie in the 77th minute to take a 2-1 advantage.
Bethel looked for an equalizer down the stretch, earning four second-half corner kicks, but Wartburg added an insurance goal on a penalty kick in the 84th minute to bring the match to its 3-1 final.
The Royals finished with 11 shots, including four on goal, while Wartburg recorded 24 shots and nine on target. The teams each earned six corner kicks, while Bethel's goalkeeper finished with six saves.
Oberholtzer's goal marked his team-leading fourth of the season and his second goal in as many matches after also finding the back of the net against Concordia-Moorhead on Saturday.
With the result, Bethel moves to 3-3-1 overall while remaining 0-1-1 in MIAC play.
Up Next: Bethel returns to conference action Saturday, traveling to Gustavus Adolphus College for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
