WINGATE, N.C. — The Catawba College men's soccer team supplied a pair of match-tying goals to settle for a draw on the road against South Atlantic Conference foe Wingate at Pride Park on Tuesday evening.
TEAM STATS
- Catawba (4-4-2, 1-3-2 SAC) out-shot Wingate (2-6-2, 2-2-2 SAC) by double figures at 23-13 exacerbated by a 16-5 difference in the second half
- Although the Catawba Indians had sheer volume, the Bulldogs fired with accuracy to lead the shots on goal count 11-6
- The hosts were held to just one corner kick, while Catawba benefitted from six opportunities
- Fouls almost straight down the middle with the blue and white getting whistled once more (11-10), but Wingate was shown four yellows against Catawba's two
INDIVIDUAL STATS
- Lukas García Huidobro found pay dirt for the second time in three matches on a team-high five shots
- SAC leading scorer Máté Kenyeres provided his sixth strike of the year, snapping a five-match scoring drought; both he and García Huidobro tallied two shots on goal
- Luis Rodrigues notched his first career point with an assist on García Huidobro's score
- Thomas Füreder came off the bench to have a meaningful 59-minute performance that featured the first two shots of his rookie campaign
- On an active night defensively, Héctor Vara stepped up to the challenge with a career-high nine saves – leaping, diving, and point-blank stops – on 11 shots faced
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
- Catawba had the first swell of offense that included a Kenyeres attempt that ricocheted off the left post and out
- Like a pendulum, control swung to the Bulldogs midway through the half when David Serdynski sent in the match's first score in the 31st minute
- The visitors rallied quickly, drawing a hard foul on Rodrigues that set up a free kick outside the corner of the box; Rodrigues took it himself, finding the whipping boot of García Huidobro for the equalizer
- Vara held off the 'Dogs twice more, but Ben McGonigle broke through with five minutes until halftime to make it a 2-1 Wingate lead at the break
Second Half
- The squads combined for three yellow cards in the first seven minutes of the second half
- Catawba looked to wear down the Wingate defense with relentless shooting, culminating in bang-bang shots from Carlos Zapata to produce a 58th-minute corner kick
- Wingate attempted to head the opportunity away but Kenyeres gained possession, dribbling around a defender where he found a seam and blasted a shot into the twine
- Vara and Bulldog goalie Quincy Gibbs put on a keepers' duel for the final third of the match, neither budging to chalk up a 2-2 draw
UP NEXT
The Catawba Indians continue a lengthy road spell on Sunday, Oct. 19, at Emory & Henry. Kickoff against the Wasps is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
