MEN’S SOCCER

It was a finish for the ages Saturday night in a neighborly Crossroads League clash between the #RV Forester men’s soccer team and the Taylor Trojans. Staring at a 1-0 deficit with only ten minutes remaining, Coach Potter’s crew worked a fast and furious comeback to escape Turner Stadium with a 2-1 win.

Since 2019, HU has enjoyed a 9-2-1 record against the Trojans which includes a current three-game win streak over TU.

The only action in the first half was a Taylor penalty kick in the 27th minute. The free kick came after the Trojans drew a foul in the box after intercepting an errant pass by Huntington’s defense. TU’s 1-0 lead had the makings of a final score as time ticked away, but a gritty Forester squad had some late-game antics up their sleeve.

With ten minutes remaining, HU’s equalizer came when Matheus Menegueli got his head on a ball in the box off a restart that he played perfectly to Cooper Foshee who also used his noggin to send it back netting. Not surprisingly, it gave new life to Huntington and four short minutes later, they were at it again with Sam Dolobaipu willing his team to the win.

The 6-3 sophomore shredded Taylor’s backline by manhandling a few defenders, chipping the ball past the keeper and then finding Abraham Abdoul Kadri who put the finishing touches on the game-winning play by slamming it home. The goal is Abdoul’s fourth of the season while the assist is Dolobaipu’s seventh handout of the year.

With just under two minutes remaining, the Foresters breathed a sigh of relief when an offsides call negated a Trojan goal. It was smooth sailing after that with HU hanging on for the come-from-behind victory.

Dan Pellegrine collected three saves on his way to notching the win between the pipes. Shots were lopsided with the guests firing off 22 to Taylor’s six. Corner kicks also favored Huntington 6-3.

Five games into league play, the Foresters (10-3-1) are tied with #5 IWU for the top spot in the standings with a 4-1 CL record. HU returns to King Stadium on Wednesday to host Mount Vernon at 7:00 p.m.