Sewanee, TN - The No. 7 nationally ranked Trinity University Men's Soccer Team (11-1-0) kept its conference record unblemished with a hard-fought 2-1 comeback win over Sewanee University (10-3-3) on a cool Saturday evening at Puett Field.
Like many of the Tigers' recent matches Trinity dictated play early and racked up eight first-half shots. However in the 33rd minute, against the run of play Sewanee took a 1-0 lead from the penalty spot after their forward was taken down in the area. This didn't deter the Texan Tigers but despite controlling much of the ball, Trinity couldn't find the breakthrough before halftime.
Head Coach
Paul McGinlay's side emerged from the halftime break with renewed energy and intent, committing numbers forward, testing the Sewanee defense, and showcasing the fluid, attacking football befitting of the SAA's top-ranked team. The Tigers' persistence was finally rewarded in the 64th minute. After a slick passage of play down the right flank between
Julian Lopez (Austin, Texas / St. Stephen's Episcopal) and
Luke Mayfield (Austin, Texas / Westlake),
Zach Anderson (Davis, California / Davis) found space on the edge of the area and slipped a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of the overlapping Mayfield. Without hesitation, Mayfield whipped a powerful first-time cut-back across the face of goal to freshman
Thomas Kay (Stansted Mountfitchet, England / The Bishop's Stortford), who took a composed touch at the penalty spot before curling a precise finish into the back of the net to level the match at 1-1.
The Trinity Tigers weren't finished yet, relentlessly pressing the Sewanee goal in search of a winner. Chance after chance came and went, including a thunderous effort that rattled the crossbar. As the clock ticked down the breakthrough seemed destined not to arrive. However, in the 83rd minute, the Tigers earned their sixth corner of the match and set up once more with belief.
Romeo Corino (Monaco, Monaco / Woodstock Academy (Conn.)) delivered a wickedly curling ball to the back post, where
Daniel Urquidi (Round Rock, Texas / Round Rock) rose highest to nod it back across goal. A heavy deflection off
Luke Chandler (Glasgow, Scotland / Balfron) redirected the ball perfectly into the path of freshman midfielder
Max Salinas (Austin, Texas / Austin), who took one composed touch before rifling a volley past the frozen goalkeeper and into the back of the net for his third goal of the season.
Pandemonium ensued as the Trinity bench erupted and the entire team sprinted to the corner to celebrate a well-earned 2-1 lead. The Tigers closed out the night with a commanding 21-13 advantage in shots, a fitting reflection of their dominance and determination.
With the win, Trinity extended its unbeaten run to eight matches and improved its all-time record against Sewanee to 23-0, continuing its dominance over the Tigers from Tennessee.
Up Next
The No. 7 nationally ranked Trinity Men's Soccer team return home for alumni weekend as they first face off against the Rhodes College Lynx on Friday, October 24th at 8:00 p.m. They then follow that up on Sunday, October 26th at 1:30 p.m. as they match up against the Millsaps College Majors.
