Men’s soccer thrills crowd with victory over St. Peter’s peacocks
The Liberty Flames men’s soccer team ruffled some feathers during its home opener against the Saint Peter’s Peacocks Aug. 24. In a back-and-forth game, the Flames came out on top, with a 3-2 win.
The match began with a rocky start when the Peacocks found the back of the net within the first two minutes of play. The Flames brought the fire and fought back, with senior midfielder Gabe Findley scoring a goal in the 8th minute to put the Flames on the board.
The Peacocks soon overtook the Flames, securing another goal and flying into the lead. Though the Flames battled hard in an effort to even the scoreboard, the Peacocks put up a strong defense, blocking Liberty’s numerous shots on goal.
In the 30th minute, the Peacocks attempted a goal of their own, as the ball sneaked out of reach of Flames junior goalkeeper Blake Franzen. Freshman Lucas Kelly, however, swooped in at the right moment, keeping the ball from entering the goal and creating a much-needed save for the Flames.
As time in the half was running out, the Flames found their momentum as senior forward Kyle Garnett scored a goal with an assist by senior midfielder Luke Eberle. This was Garnett’s first career goal, and brought the first half to an end with a tied score of 2-2.
The second half got off to a much slower start, with both teams battling for control of the ball, yet no opportunities to score on either side. Throughout the lengthy scuffle, the scoreboard remained unchanged.
The Flames fought earnestly to add to their score, but multiple attempts fell shy.
“Those are hard games to play in because you’re chasing the game; but, I was really pleased with our discipline and resilience,” Flames Head Coach Kelly Findley said. “I think we had great goals. It was hard to score, but we created some great goal-scoring opportunities.”
With a standstill between both teams and time running out on the clock, fans at Osborne Stadium rose to their feet to cheer on the Flames. The energy in the stands was electric, and with just 32 seconds left on the clock, senior forward Michael Huss scored the game-winning goal with an assist by freshman Leo Conneh. The home crowd erupted, and the players embraced one another on the pitch.
“The whole preseason, the coaches have been telling me to stand in between the two center backs and split the difference between them. When Leo had a perfect ball, I just had to tap it in,” Huss said. “It was pretty simple on my part, the team did the rest.”
This win places the Flames at 1-0 to start the season. Liberty outshot the Peacocks 24-9, with Franzen making four saves throughout the contest.
The Flames will return to Osborne Stadium Aug. 28 in a battle against Belmont Abbey at 7 p.m.
White is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.