NASHVILLE – The Trevecca Men's Soccer team (1-2-1) wrapped up their non-conference schedule with a thrilling 4-3 loss to Freed-Hardeman University (6-02-), concluding their preparations ahead of the Gulf South Conference debut.
THE SERIES
This was the first time the Trevecca Trojans and and the Fred-Hardeman Lions met in men's soccer.
THE GAME
In their final preparation game before the GSC debut, Coach Danny Leavy appears to have solidified his regular defensive and midfield lineup, but continues to experiment with different combinations in the attacking trio. This time,
Ben Singer earned a spot in the starting eleven alongside
Chris Douglas and
Daniel Shiel, who both started last week against Cedarville. Adan Gonzales, the usual starting goalkeeper, was rested, giving
John Jeffus a chance between the posts.
On an action-packed evening, it was the Lions who struck first, with Seabata Ts'Emane finishing a Thabo Mahlaha assist in the 24th minute.
The Trojans responded by taking control of the remainder of the first half, and
Judah Jones delivered a stunning strike from outside the box, leveling the score with a powerful shot to the bottom left corner just two minutes before halftime.
The Lions regained the lead in the 49th minute when Avery Flener tapped in a Vicente Georgi cross to finish off a well-built play. Despite relentless pressure from the Trojans, the Lions struck again when Thabo Mahlaha converted a penalty in the 83rd minute, seemingly sealing the game at 3-1.
However, Trevecca didn't back down. Just a minute later,
Ben Singer netted his first goal of the season, assisted by
Judah Jones, cutting the deficit to 3-2. But any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed, as Ts'Emane completed his brace only 40 seconds later, returning the favor to Mahlaha with a well-timed assist.
Tom Hooper capped off the night with a free-kick beauty, for his second goal of the season, but the Trojans ultimately fell short in a 4-3 loss despite their late rally.
UP NEXT
The Trojans now turn their attention to their Gulf South Conference debut, facing the University of Alabama at Huntsville (1-1-2) this Friday at 7:00 p.m. They will then host the University of West Alabama (2-1-1) on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
