OWENSBORO, KY - It was a roller coaster of a conference opener, but in the end the Kentucky Wesleyan Men's Soccer team stayed undefeated on the year, drawing 3-3 with G-MAC newcomer Thomas More.
Santiago Henrich was a catalyst for the Panthers, as he scored two second half goals to secure the tie.
The Panthers now move to 3-0-2 on the year while Thomas More sits at 2-2-1.
Kentucky Wesleyan started the game out strong, going up early on
Matteo Napoletano's fourth goal of the season. The joy was shortlived, as Thomas More outshot the Panthers 8-0 the rest of the half and grabbed two goals of their own to make it 2-1 in favor of the Saints at the half.
Santiago Henrich quickly set the tone in the second half, taking advantage of a TMU miscue in the back to tie it at 2-2 in the 48th minute. Wesleyan continued to be the aggressors, peppering the Saint's goalkeeper with multiple shots over the next 20 minutes, but none would find the back of the net. Thomas More would take back the lead on a free kick goal in the 72nd minute, putting the pressure on the home side. Henrich didn't fall under pressure, scoring his second goal of the game in the 78th minute to tie the game back up. Wesleyan had four shots in the final seven minutes, but the game would end with the score knotted at three.
Thomas More led in shots 9-8, but the Panthers managed to outshoot them 7-1 in the second half. Wesleyan was outshot 6-3 in shots-on-goal, but all three of KWC's shots found the back of the net. TMU had three corner kicks to Wesleyan's two, while the Panthers committed 13 fouls to TMU's 10.
Matteo Napoletano and
Santiago Henrich each sit at four goals on the year. Moritz Bauernfeint,
Calum Newson, and
Matteo Napoletano all picked up assists in the game.
The Panthers will have a chance to get their first G-MAC win of the season on Saturday when they travel to Tiffin, Ohio, to take on the Tiffin Dragons. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT.
Stay up to date on all your Panther news by following @KWCpanthers on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the "Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics" Facebook page.
