Box Score ANGOLA, Ind. - Soccer is
usually a game where goals are hard to come by, especially late in
the game. However, for the Trine University men's soccer
team, it was two goals in the final four minutes that gave them
their final regular season win over Kalamazoo College 2-1. With the
win, the Thunder (13-4-2, 9-4-1) scored the third seed in the MIAA
conference tournament as they will travel to second seeded Hope
College for a 3:00 p.m. match on November 4.
Defense played a huge role for both sides in the
first half, as both teams were able to get just one shot on goal.
The first 20 minutes of the second half looked like neither team
would score as the offenses continued to struggle. Finally in the
67th minute, the Hornets broke open the scoreless tie as two
crossing passes left the Kalamazoo player open in the middle of the
box. That's how the game would remain for the next 20
minutes.
With time winding down, Trine's hopes for a
win grew smaller with each tick of the clock. With less than five
minutes remaining the Thunder finally broke free. A quick pass up
the field to Foster Webb (Auburn, Ind./Dekalb) got the fans up on
their feet. Webb drove around a defender, faked out the Kalamazoo
goalkeeper and found a wide open Andre Hilson (Bremen, Ind./Bremen)
who put the ball in the back of the net to tie the game.
The goal brought the Thunder fans back into the
game as they got on their feet waiting for Trine to score the
game-winner, and the Thunder didn't want to disappoint them.
With just 1:21 left in the game, Webb scored his team-leading 10th
goal of the season as he fired a rocket of a shot from nearly 40
yards out. Webb buried the ball into the bottom right corner of the
net as the team and crowd both erupted in celebration.
Nick Thon (South Haven, Mich./South Haven) earned
the win in goal as he made two saves, one in each half.
Trine will now face Hope College in the
semi-finals of the first-ever MIAA conference tournament. Hope led
the season series over the Thunder 1-0-1. Hope defeated Trine 1-0
in Angola, while the two schools played to a scoreless tie in
Holland.