The Park University men's soccer program came back to Julian Field for a Saturday afternoon contest with Central Methodist University. The Pirates left it all out on the field and put together an impressive 3-Nil victory over the Eagles.
Park and Central Methodist have experienced the torrents of Heart of America Athletic Conference games this year as both now have three wins in conference play. For Park they now improve to 5-4-3 on the season and 3-3-3 in the Heart, while the Eagles are 6-6-3 overall and 3-4-2 in the Heart.
It's the first time in recent memory that the Eagles have not been ranked in October with a tough path to the post-season. For Park, they now are 4-3 in their all-time matches with Central Methodist. Park now had defeated the Eagles for the first time since joining the Heart in 2020. One would have to go back to the 2012 season when Park beat the Eagles last, 3-2.
Diego Granados dialed up a goal for his teammate
Wayde Roman, Roman's 4
th goal of the season. The goal came in the 14
th minute to give Park a 1-Nil halftime lead.
The Pirates only got four shots off in the first half compared to the Eagles' seven. Central Methodist was consistent with another seven shots in the second half, while eight more shots came in for Park to finish the game.
In half two, four of Park's shots were shots on goal, including a huge insurance goal by the freshman from the freshman from Bari, Italy
Alfonso Vigna in the 57
th minute. To make the freshman's first career collegiate goal that much more special, his parents were visiting from out of country and were able to be present for this meaningful moment.
The Pirates continued to take it to another level with
Julian Campos' goal in the 70
th minute. Both
Francesco Esteban and
Alex Rian Imbriani combined for the assist to put the match out of reach, 3-Nil. Campos in his first season with the Pirates is Park's leading scorer with five goals so far on the season.
It was a clean sheet from the senior from Haan, Germany,
Elias Eichhorn, and his defensemen for the third time this season. Eichhorn joined Park's play by play announcer Erik Bergrud who was honored for his 10
th season as The Voice of Park soccer.
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Eichhorn came up with a clutch five saves, while Morris Van Tuinen of Central Methodist had three saves and three goals allowed.
The Pirates will come back to Julian Field on Wednesday, October 25 for a Breast Cancer Awareness Night game against Benedictine College at 7pm. It will be a "Pink Out" Game for those in attendance to support both teams and a worthy cause.
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