MEN’S SOCCER

It was sheer will that lifted the #RV Huntington men’s soccer team past Marian Wednesday under the lights at St. Vincent Field. The 2-1 battle featured Jordan Morris finding side netting with :34 ticks remaining for his second game-winner of the season, his first coming by way of a golden goal against Goshen earlier this month.

Ollie Ardle set the stage for the late-game antics by finding James Lighton who played a penetrating ball into an open space in the box that Morris chased down. The junior forward was off to the races at that point, beating the Marian keeper and  a defender, to make a sliding play that sent the ball far post for the win.

Less than 20 minutes earlier, the Knights’ Sebastian Gonzalez drew things even at 1-1. While both teams continued to press on, as was the case all match as evidenced by the barrage of shots taken by both sides, it appeared the game would head to OT. But not so as the Foresters pulled off the unthinkable – taking less than 30 seconds to navigate over 60 yards inside of a minute remaining.

Huntington’s first goal was also an act of sheer will by several Foresters. It started when Noah Stanford forced an MU defender to turn the ball over in the box. The senior captain played the ball to Pablo Garcia who flipped it back to Lighton whose first shot was blocked but he wouldn’t be denied his second attempt. The Englishman sizzled the back net seven minutes into the contest for a 1-0 lead that stuck until Gonzalez’s strike. For Lighton, it’s his second goal in as many games.

It was a well-played match from start to finish as both teams got up and down consistently with the hosts holding a slight 18-17 advantage in shots taken. The Knights logged seven shots on frame to HU’s six, forcing both keepers to make several quality saves with Gabe Greenfield collecting the win for HU.

“It’s always good to come out on the winning end of this kind of game,” said Coach Lawson. “Both teams had multiple quality opportunities. It’s a credit to our backline and Gabe for being up for the task of keeping Marian out of the net.”

These two squads squared off in the second game of the season for a 3-3 stalemate that counts in the CL standings. Wednesday’s match is considered a non-conference win for the Foresters as they improve to 6-2-2.

There’s a lot at stake on Saturday’s home league game against Bethel. It’s the first meeting between the two teams this fall. The Pilots are currently riding atop the Crossroads League with a 5-1-1 league record while HU is tied for second with a 4-1-2 record in CL action.