SAN ANTONIO, TX - The No. 2 Trinity University men's soccer team (1-2-1) battled the University of La Verne (2-0-2) to a 1-1 draw on Friday evening at
Paul McGinlay Field, with the Tigers dominating for long stretches but unable to find the winner.
Trinity controlled the run of play for the majority of the first half, and the pressure paid off in the 13th minute.
Hodge MacDonald (Hertford, England / Haileybury) pounced on a rebound in the box, finishing from a striker's dream position after
Gustav Moberg's (Borås, Sweden / Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet) initial effort was parried away by La Verne goalkeeper Simonton. The goal, assisted by Moberg, capped a spell of sustained Trinity pressure and gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead they would carry into the break. Trinity out-shot La Verne 8-4 in the opening 45 minutes and would finish the half with a 3-1 edge on corner kicks.
The second half was a tighter, more even affair until La Verne struck against the run of play in the 52nd minute. Off a corner kick, Soto found the equalizer, assisted by Bastidas, leveling the score at 1-1 in a goal that came out of nowhere for the Tigers' defense.
La Verne had a chance to take the lead in the 77th minute when they were awarded a penalty kick, but Arreola's hit struck the left hand post, keeping the score level at 1-1. Moments later, Tapia-Palacios was given a red card for grabbing a Trinity player by the neck, reducing La Verne to 10 men. With the extra man, the Tigers poured forward and created numerous chances down the stretch, including a moment where it looked like MacDonald was taken down in the box by the La Verne goalkeeper but a penalty wasn't awarded. Despite the extended pressure, Trinity couldn't find a breakthrough, and the match ended level.
Trinity finished with a commanding 17-11 advantage in total shots and a 12-6 edge in shots on goal, adding a 7-2 edge on corner kicks.
Jayden Schell (Dallas, Texas / Plano) made five saves in goal for the Tigers, while Simonton was busy at the other end with 11 saves to keep La Verne level.
Up Next
The No. 2 Tigers will look to build on Friday's result as they face off against Texas A&M-San Antonio on Sunday, September 13th at 6:00 p.m.
