(Box Score) Chicago, IL – Bethel match? What Bethel match?
Just four days removed from one of the most bitter losses in the 47-year history of the Goshen College men’s soccer program (click here for related article), the Leafs made a resounding return to the pitch, defeating host Moody Bible Institute by a 4-0 score for the second consecutive season Tuesday afternoon.
Of course, the win over the Archers was bolstered by the fact that Goshen (7-5-2, 3-2) used just three players that appeared in Friday’s controversial loss to Mid-Central Conference rival Bethel College, taking a crew primarily comprised of backups and younger players in the win.
“This was a very good win for us away from home, especially to bounce back the way we did after a tough loss at Bethel,” said Tavi Mounsithiraj, Goshen head coach. “To get a result like this, under these circumstances, was simply wonderful.”
Mounsithiraj had just one of his team’s total 21 goals accounted for on Tuesday — senior Nate Montiel made the trip — but the Leafs’ lack of experience proved to be little concern. Goshen opened up the scoring just over six minutes into play, as senior Peter Koontz scored the first of two goals at the 6:52 mark.
Koontz received a pass from sophomore Juan De Leon to give Goshen an early 1-0 lead and then redirected an Alex Caskey (sophomore) corner kick into the back of the net at the 22:38 mark for a 2-0 cushion.
Montiel added his second score in as many matches at the 34:18 mark — he scored the Leafs’ lone goal against Bethel on Friday — pitting his team with a comfy 3-0 lead heading into intermission.
“We really played well right from the opening whistle,” Mounsithiraj said. “Pete Koontz was really active up front and Nate had a nice goal after he dribbled around several defenders and made a shot from about 10 yards out to give us a three-nil lead.”
The Leafs’ defense was a stalwart in the final 45 minutes of play, as Moody could not get any of five shots on goal past senior Brad Graber, who was making his first collegiate start in goal. Goshen’s defensive unit of junior Ben Martin, senior Benji Graber, freshman Martin Brubaker and sophomore Jesse Heyerly earned praise from Mounsithiraj following the match, giving the Leafs’ leader his first road shutout against the Archers.
The win was Goshen’s third consecutive over Moody Bible, however, winning last year’s match at home by an identical 4-0 tally (click here for article). Goshen defeated the Archers by a 5-1 score in the team’s last trip to the Windy City (click here for article).
“We continued to play some quality soccer as the match wore on and our defensive team stepped up and denied everything that Moody threw our way,” Mounsithiraj said.
Junior Brennan Troyer concluded the scoring with his first goal of the season at the game’s 56:06 point, taking a pass from — of course — Koontz for the final margin of victory.
“I was really happy to see our younger players have a chance to start for us this season with several key players out with injury and others in need of some rest,” Mounsithiraj said. “(Sophomore) Mark Hershberger and Juan De Leon played really well in the midfield, dictating the pace of the game. We have always struggled to play the MBI side well in Chicago, and to go here and get a shutout was not something that I was expecting.”
Goshen will continue to rest its starters for the remainder of the week before returning to league action Saturday night, when the team will host MCC archrival Grace College. Match time is set for 7 p.m. at the Goshen College Soccer Complex.
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Senior Peter Koontz