Holy Cross men’s soccer continued its non-conference schedule against the Lourdes University Gray Wolves on Wednesday afternoon at home. The Saints entered the game with a 2-2 record, hoping to bounce back after a loss in their previous match and move back above .500 on the season. They faced a Gray Wolves squad who had limped through the first two games of their season.
Lourdes had yet to record a win or a goal on the year, and Holy Cross looked to keep it that way. These hopes were quickly dashed, however. Gray Wolves junior midfielder Rolando Benitez found the back of the net in only the ninth minute of the game, quickly making the score 1-0 in Lourdes' favor. The Saints would respond with persistent offensive pressure throughout the remainder of the first half, tallying four corner kick opportunities and six shots. But their efforts were to no avail, as the half ended with just the single goal scored.
Midway through the second half, the Saints found themselves in dire straits after a penalty kick was awarded to Lourdes in the 65th minute. Looking to capitalize and take control of the match, the Gray Wolves sent junior forward Martin Coronel to the spot. Holy Cross sophomore goalkeeper Isaias Rubio had something to say about that, however, and recorded a massive save to keep his team within a goal.
The Saints finally got on the board in the 80th minute, courtesy of junior midfielder Isa Sayeed’s first goal of the season. The assist came from junior defender Martin Von Thun, also his first of the year.
Holy Cross was able to stave off more offensive pressure from Lourdes as the match drew to a close, thanks to two more saves by Rubio. The Saints ultimately earned a 1-1 draw.
With the draw, Holy Cross remains level at 2-2-1 on the year, while Lourdes will continue looking for their first win at 0-2-1. The Saints will be back in action on Saturday at 4 p.m. when they host the Marian University Knights.
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