Men’s Soccer vs. Milwaukee 2021 | Photo by Brett Hull | The Wright State Guardian
Down 1-2 with under 15 minutes to play in a Horizon League match against the Milwaukee Panthers, Wright State men’s soccer fought back against its conference opponent to find a second goal.
Converting in the box
Even though the Raiders tied the match 2-2, the team was disciplined in putting shots on target and staying calm through stressful situations.
Both of WSU’s goals came from crosses inside the box, with Presten Manthey scoring a first of the season. Manthey was off-balance and forced to hit a half-volley precisely into the side-netting.
From there, the Panthers showed some calm under pressure as well, converting two goals in six minutes from inside the 18. Despite being 1-6-2 before facing WSU, MKE hit a bicycle kick and played fast counter attacks to take the lead.
WSU pressured hard for the rest of the game, dominating play until the next chance. A set piece fell in front of Nicolas Likulia, who stood calm inside the box and drove the ball with precision into the back of the net.
The Raiders almost had a third goal with Jacob Adams hitting a solid strike towards the bottom corner, but MKE’s Gijs Van Schouten was able to prevent a Raider game winner.
Solid play
Despite the Raider record of 2-0-1 in conference, the Panthers played a great match and have played great games this season, beating Big 10 opponent Wisconsin earlier this year.
The Raiders outshot the Panthers 10-5 in shots on goal and moved the ball effectively through the opponents’ defending third, taking eight corner kicks to MKE’s two.
WSU played physically, committing 17 fouls to the Panthers’ six, which gave MKE some of its best opportunities.
While the tie against the Panthers isn’t ideal, salvaging a point on the road is a decent result for the Raiders and still keeps the team undefeated in league play.
WSU’s next match is against the Robert Morris Colonials, the team that was tied with WSU for first place in the league before Wednesday’s action. ESPN+ will stream the action on Oct. 1 at 2 p.m.
