MEN’S SOCCER

Playing in front of their Homecoming crowd Saturday afternoon at King Stadium, the HU men’s soccer team struck first against red-hot No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan before the visiting Wildcats rallied with three unanswered second-half strikes to hand the Foresters a 3-1 setback.

Huntington entered the rivalry clash having held the upper hand over the previous ten meetings between the programs (6-1-3), while Indiana Wesleyan (10-1-2, 4-0-0 CL) arrived riding momentum after leaping from No. 15 to No. 6 in the latest NAIA national poll.

Following a scoreless opening 45 minutes that saw the Forester back line and goalkeeper Zane Hydock turn away early pressure, Huntington broke the deadlock early in the second frame. In the 52nd minute, an IWU handball inside the 18-yard box awarded the Foresters a penalty kick. Micah Colvin stepped to the spot and calmly blasted the shot past the keeper to put HU ahead 1-0 at the 51:22 mark.

The nationally ranked Wildcats answered back midway through the second half, leveling the contest in the 68th minute on a Mariano Chaves strike assisted by Camilo Pereda. Five minutes later, Chaves struck again off a feed from Jose Garcia to push IWU in front 2-1. Yarek Carnegie added an insurance goal in the 87th minute off Garcia’s second assist of the afternoon to seal Indiana Wesleyan’s sixth consecutive victory.

Indiana Wesleyan held an 18-2 advantage in total shots (8-2 on goal). Hydock went the full 90 minutes between the posts for Huntington (3-5-2, 0-2-2 CL), finishing with four saves on seven shots on goal faced, while defender Matheus Menegueli added a crucial first-half team defensive save.

Up Next
The Foresters hit the road next Saturday to Fort Wayne Saint Francis in another Crossroads League tilt. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.