Pilots Finish Solid Win Against (RV) Northwestern
Mishawaka, Ind. – The Bethel men’s soccer team improved to 5-1-1 on the season by defeating (RV) Northwestern Red Raiders (Iowa) 3-2 on Thursday evening at Morey Field on the campus of Bethel College.
The Red Raiders (3-3-1) took advantage of an early Pilot mistake in the third minute of the game as Tyler Limmer fired one past Bethel’s defense to take a 1-0 lead. The lead would be short-lived, however, as Bruno Jaeger (JR/Balneario Camboriu, Brazil) hooked up with Pedro Patino (FR/Los Angeles, Calif.) on the offensive end in the 19th minute and rocketed a shot past the visiting keeper to knot the score at 1. For Patino, it is his third goal of the season which ties him for the team lead.
The Pilots kept the pressure on the Red Raider defense by hammering eight more shots in the first half. With just over nine minutes remaining until intermission, Patino lined up for a free kick and found Tanner Gibson (SO/Acton, Calif.) in the middle of the box and Gibson headed it home to give the Pilots a 2-1 advantage and momentum going into intermission.
Northwestern again gave Philip Keller (JR/Middlebury, Ind.) an early test just over a minute into the second period, but the Pilot net minder denied the Red Raiders to preserve the one-goal lead. The Pilots continued to create opportunities for themselves on the offensive end as freshmen Patino and Jose Barquin (FR/Veracruz, Mexico) peppered the visitors from Iowa with shot after shot.
The Red Raider defense held strong until Luca Cardamone (FR/Ascoli Piceno, Italy) found Barquin in the 67th minute to give the Pilots a 3-1 advantage with time winding down.
The Pilots defense, led by Ian Billin (SR/Hudsonville, Mich.) and Henry Schaumer (SO/Essen, Germany), did its part, allowing just two shots in the second half. With time winding down, Northwestern’s Limmer netted his second goal of the match on a penalty kick with under a minute remaining but it did not affect the outcome as the Pilots landed a 3-2 victory in the first night of the Waterford Estates Fall Classic.
The Pilots got off 17 shots in the match while Keller only had to make one save. The two goals allowed by the Pilot defense was the most this season, but the Pilots are 5-0-0 when scoring at least one themselves.
“I thought we had very good execution and intensity tonight, and started to show some great things in the final third,” commented Head Coach Thiago Pinto. “We took good care of the ball across the field and showed great character against a good team. I am gutted with how we gave up a PK at the end of the game but we will improve as we prepare for Saturday’s game.”
The Pilots return to action on Saturday at 3:00 pm ET as they face Lawrence Tech (Mich.) for the finale of the Fall Classic. The Blue Devils (4-1-1) played to a double overtime scoreless match against Grace (Ind.) on Thursday prior to Bethel’s victory.