The University of the Incarnate Word men’s soccer team played host to St. Edward’s University on Sunday night at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium, just a day removed from having played to a 0-0 tie with Rollins College in a tough game played in equally tough weather conditions.
But, instead of hanging their heads, Incarnate Word responded to the adversity and scored two unanswered goals to pull out the 2-1 victory in the Heartland Conference opener for both programs.
“We really showed some toughness tonight,” UIW head coach John Smith said.
The Cardinals (2-0-1, 1-0) got two goals from the combination of Jesus Cortez and Troy Thompson. In the first half, Thompson, coming off the bench, found a piece of turf in the box and tattooed a crossing pass by Cortez for the first Cardinals goal of the year and the first goal and assist for each player, respectively.
That game-tying shot came just three minutes after St. Edward’s University (0-3, 0-1) had taken a 1-0 lead on a corner kick.
With the game tied by halftime, UIW came out in the second half and constantly pressured the Hilltoppers until Thompson and Cortez connected again – this time in the 71st minute.
Cortez controlled a long ball out of the Cardinals’ defense and expertly chipped it over the SEU defender between him and the net. Thompson, crashing the goal, flew in and volleyed the shot into the netting, giving SEU goalkeeper Matt Moore no chance on the save.
Overall, UIW outshot St. Edward’s 18-7 and Moore, who had eight saves, made several big saves to keep the game as close as it was.
On the other side of the field, UIW goalkeeper Ryan Eschenberg had just four saves, but the one he made late in the game with SEU sending everything it had at the Cardinals’ net helped cement the UIW victory in dramatic fashion – getting upended while in mid-air and sprawled out.
Other players with stellar efforts were Callum Riley, who attacked the SEU goal with 4 shots, and Tom Morrill, who had a late defensive-save that stopped a shot from finding the back of the net.
Now, the Cardinals will take to the road for a two-game road trip to play at St. Edward’s University in two neutral-field contests against schools from Colorado – Fort Lewis and Colorado School of Mines. Both programs will test the Cardinals and help them see where they are and what they need to do this season if they want to make a splash in the NCAA Division II Soccer Tournament.
UIW plays Colorado School of Mines at 2:30 p.m. on Friday and Fort Lewis at 11 a.m. on Sunday.