Highlanders
Tame Wildcats,
Secure Playoff Game
Box Score
Amherst, N.Y.—
The Houghton
College men’s soccer
team secured a home
conference playoff
game by shutting out
the Daemen Wildcats
this afternoon, 3-0.
The Highlanders
struck in the first
ten minutes when
Austin Beck
dispossessed a
defender, hit a shot
that the goaltender
parried, followed up
and collected the
rebound and then
passed it into the
net.
The early goal made
a difference
according to
Houghton’s Head
Coach Matt Webb. “It
was very windy and
we were going
against the wind in
the first half,”
Webb said “so it was
big that we got that
that one.”
“We had the better
of play the rest of
the half,” said
Webb, “but they used
the wind and created
a few
opportunities.”
In the second half,
though, the
Highlanders took
control and scored
about 15 minutes in.
Josiah Snelgrove
sent a long ball
from midfield that
Steve Grudda chested
down and then
volleyed home to
double the lead.
In the 75th
minute it was
Snelgrove assisting
again, this time on
a corner kick that
Dan Brubaker hit on
a side volley to
make the final 3-0.
“In the second half,
we played in their
end almost the whole
time,” Webb said,
adding that the
Highlanders had
other opportunities,
notably when Josh
Gottron’s chip over
the goalkeeper hit
the crossbar on a
breakaway.
The win means
Houghton—with a
record of 8-3-4
overall and 3-1-1 in
the American Mideast
Conference
(AMC)—will host an
AMC playoff game
next Tuesday or
Wednesday against
Roberts Wesleyan
College or Malone
College (pending the
outcome of games
this weekend).
