Eagles Improve to 3-0 At Home

The Emmaus men's soccer team kicked off back to back home conference matches this weekend following a grueling 5 game road stretch. The first matchup of the weekend saw the Eagles take on the Ambassadors of Ozark Christian College (Joplin, MO).

The Eagles got off to a great start in the match as Anthony Flores (#10) sent in a great cross in the 7th minute that sophomore Nick Fairley (#9) calmly finished to give Emmaus the 1-0 lead. Ten minutes later it was Ozark's turn when #10 Cotan Ceinbach fired in a left footed shot off of a set piece after a poor Emmaus clearance.

With the game tied a one game apiece it looked to be quite a battle between the two teams, but Flores and Fairley had an answer once again as Anthony again found his teammate on a cross for Nick to bury in the 26th minute. Five minutes later the Eagles added to their lead when Sammy Gitonga (#16) sent in a perfect cross to the back post where Mason McCarl (#7) headed the ball home. The Eagles went into the half leading 3-1.

"It was a solid first half for us as we were playing smart, building up well, and sending in dangerous crosses. I told them I don't like two goal leads as they can make a team complacent. Coach Conrad encouraged the guys to try to put the game away early in the second half. They did just that." (Coach Brown)

The two teams battled back and forth in the second half until Elijah Barsness found Mason McMCarl in the 56th minute for his second headed goal of the game off of a long throw in. Just two minutes later Anthony Flores completed the "assist hat trick" when he laid off a perfect pass to midfielder Neal Johnson who fired in his first intercollegiate goal from the top of the 18 into side netting.

The rest of the game saw both teams battle back and forth as the Eagle reserves were able to provide some much needed rest to their teammates. Ozark did manage to add one more late goal on a great cross from Ceinback to Nick Maxwell, but the 5-2 scoreline marked Emmaus' first conference win of the season.

The second matchup of the weekend saw the Eagles take on the Warriors of Calvary University (Kansas City, MO). The game kicked off at a blazing 92 degrees and the Eagles struggled early to look sharp after playing a solid 90 minutes the night before.

"We are playing much to direct and our touches and settles gave evidence of tired legs." (Coach Brown)

With neither team able to gain much of an advantage, the Warriors managed to score first off of an Eagle mistake. A misfired clearance by Eagle keeper Gabriel Salinas (#5) was settled by Calvary midfielder Sam Her (#9) who won position and chipped in a perfect shot with his left cross just beyond the reach of Salinas.

Trailing by a goal, the Eagles looked to equalize before half. They did just that when Carson McBain (#11) launched a quick throw in to Anthony Flores who touched the ball past the Warrior keeper for the goal.

The second half saw both teams pressing hard in the hot sun. In the 55th minute it was Emmaus who took its first lead of the game as Flores sent in a perfect cross to teammate Gitonga whose header proved to be the game winner.

The final 30 minutes of the half were exciting to watch as Emmaus created several close opportunities that forced Calvary keeper Seth Bielenberg to make several clutch saves. The Warriors also continued to be dangerous, putting several strong shots on goal, but Salinas was up to the task, making 3 excellent saves in a row that more than made up for his earlier mistake. The final score of 2-1 meant that the Eagles are now 2-2 in conference play and undefeated at home (3-0).

"I was very proud of the way our guys played today. The game itself was pretty sloppy, but Calvary is also a very good team and kept us on our toes all game long. They are a well-coached group and will be a tough team when it comes to the conference tournament. As for our guys, Salinas made some incredible saves down the stretch, our defense played very well, and Flores had a weekend to remember with four assists and a goal. More importantly, there was some sweet fellowship on and off the field. The tone of both games this weekend was hard play and love of Christ as much or more than the game. I love to see it!" (Coach Brown)

The Eagles will be back in action on Thursday as they travel to Eureka, Illinois to take on the Red Devils of Eureka College at 4:00 pm. Their next home matchup will take place two days later when the Eagles host the regional powerhouse Archers of Moody Bible Institute (Chicago, IL). Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm.