Trojans Lose Inside Turner

Trojans Lose Inside Turner

UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor men’s soccer team dropped its second game in a row, this time against Missouri Baptist inside Turner Stadium. While the final score reads 4-0, the Trojans fought hard and controlled the ball in stretches throughout the match.

Missouri Baptist’s first goal came in the 26th-minute of the opening half, after capitalizing on a seemingly minor foul inside the Trojan defense. Spartan freshman, Emilio Hernandez, lined up the foul shot, wrapped it around the TU defense line and found the top-left pocket of the net for the match’s first goal.

Before the half was over, Missouri Baptist tacked another goal on the board. After another TU foul, the Spartans attacked the net, stirring a scramble within the Taylor defense and culminating in an opportune goal scored by Spartan defenseman, Ross Wilson. It was 2-0 Spartans heading into the half.

The Trojans came out of the half with energy, though, placing themselves in position to take two shots within the first six minutes, both of which, however, were blocked by Spartan defenders. Missouri Baptist worked a corner kick in response to Taylor’s attack, and they made it count. Off of a short pass from the corner, a second Spartan dished an assist to a third, who re-oriented the ball to the back of the net via his head.

Now down 3-0, TU maintained its effort and took three more shots, yet none found its way on frame. Missouri Baptist made one final run before the match’s completion. Ignited in the team’s defense, set up in the mid-field and scored inside the Trojan box, the Spartans’ fourth and final goal unfolded in a matter of seconds.

The Trojans responded to Missouri Baptist’s (2-5-0) fourth goal by firing off four shots of their own. Still, the Spartan net remained clean throughout. TU finished the match with 15 total shots, in contrast to the Spartans’ seven, yet only three of Taylor’s shots landed on frame.

Taylor (4-2-0) remains at home next week, when the Trojans compete against Aquinas (0-2-1) on Tuesday, September 21, and Mount Vernon Nazarene (4-1-0) on Saturday, September 25.