BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Trine University soccer team made the trip to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the NCAA DI Indiana University on Thursday night to cap off the regular season. The Thunder ended up losing by a 3-0 result, but put together a much better effort than their 9-0 loss at the hands of the same opponent one year ago.
Trine finishes the regular season with an 8-6-3 record, while the Hoosiers of IU advance to 8-3-5.
The defense was tested early with three shots from Indiana attackers and keeper Aidan McGonagle made his first save of the night on the third and final attempt of the spree. Going the other way, Francesco Mazzei put his first attempt on goal and the Indiana keeper had to make a play on the ball to prevent Trine from taking an early advantage.
The 21st minute would see the first goal of the match for the Hoosiers and a 32nd minute score put the team up 2-0. Ryan Cote took a shot in minute number 42, but it was blocked by the interior of the defense.
At the half, Trine was outshot 11-2, but took more corner kicks than their NCAA DI opponent, showing they were not going down without a solid fight.
A platoon swap in the second half saw 10 new players on the field, with McGonagle remaining in net. Indiana used fresh legs to their advantage and scored a third goal less than three minutes into the second half, but from there the group would settle in.
New entrant Braiden Hamilton found himself open in the offensive zone and fired off a shot on goal, but was denied by the Hoosier keeper in the 58th minute. Luis Rodriguez made his second appearance of the season in the 73rd minute when he relieved McGonagle of his position as goalkeeper.
Alhusain Yahya also had an attempt for the Thunder that went wide in the 79th minute, but that would be the last gasp for the team as the Indiana defender completed the shutout.
In total, Trine limited the Hoosiers to seven shot attempts in the second half and McGonagle was credited with four saves.
The team hosts Olivet College on Saturday, October 29 for the First Round match of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament. Kick-off is at 12 pm and tickets can be purchased online through the MIAA's Ticketing Portal.
