GREENVILLE, Ill. - The men's soccer team scored twice in the opening eight minutes of the second half and held off Principia for a 2-1 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory Tuesday night at Francis Field.
After a scoreless first half in which Greenville controlled much of the play, outshooting Principia 11-1, the Panthers finally broke through less than two minutes after halftime. Senior defender
Samuel Paez converted a penalty kick in the 47th minute to give Greenville a 1-0 advantage.
Principia answered quickly when Alberto Hernandez found the net in the 50th minute to level the score at 1-1.
The Panthers regained the lead just three minutes later.
Richard Kerwer finished off a setup from
Manolo Juarez in the 53rd minute, scoring what proved to be the match-winning goal.
Greenville generated consistent pressure throughout the contest, finishing with a 17-5 advantage in shots and a 7-4 edge in corner kicks.
Mattia Monti led the Panthers with two shots on goal, while Kerwer, Paez,
William Carlson Webb and
Juan Fernandez-Macias Hijas each put at least one attempt on frame.
Dominick Messer earned the victory in goal for Greenville, making one save.
Greenville's defense limited Principia to just two shots on target and preserved the lead over the final 37 minutes to secure its fourth conference victory of the season.
The Panthers improved to 5-8-1 overall and 4-1-1 in SLIAC play. Â They return to action on Saturday at Webster.
