HOLLAND, Mich. – For the first time in program history, the Trine University men's soccer team has won in a match at Hope College. The Thunder were victorious 1-0 on Tuesday night with a goal by senior Tyler Murphy in the 57th minute of play.
The win gives Trine sole possession of second place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings with a record of 5-5-3 overall and 3-1-1 in conference play. Hope falls to 8-3-3 on the year with the loss and 2-2-0 inside the MIAA.
Both defenses were able to limit opportunities early in the first half, the best of which coming by sophomore Liam Zimmerman in the 20th minute when he put a shot top left that was saved.
With the clock winding down until halftime, the offenses started to find openings. The 29th minute was especially chaotic with junior Mohamed Aljably putting a shot on frame and the Flying Dutch would counter with a pair of shots within the same minute that both missed the mark.
Hope would establish a 9-6 shot differential with a flurry of shots late, but the Thunder had the final chance before halftime. Sophomore Ryan Cote and senior Alhusain Yahya each had attempts in the closing minutes go wide.
The Flying Dutch provided a scare for Trine fans in the 52nd minute with a shot off the right post, but the Thunder defense would stand tall and a counterattack a few moments later resulted in the match's one and only goal. With the ball played ahead to Murphy, he was able to gather it on the left side of the frame and put it passed the Hope goalkeeper in the bottom right corner.
Even with the lead, Trine continued to push and get more. Freshman Britton Sala forced the opponents to make a save on his shot in the 71st minute of play as the defensive unit of Zimmerman, Cote, sophomore Gavin Hardy and junior Luke Kearns played balls out from the back line.
In the final five minutes, Hope made one final push to find the back of the net but were unsuccessful. The Thunder defense was able to block an opportunity in the 85th minute that looked to be one of the better chances for the home team in the match. The goalkeeper freshman Dillon Lambert was able to make a play on a free kick chance taken around midfield to secure the victory in the 90th minute for the team.
In total, the Flying Dutch had six shots on goal compared to four for Trine. The Thunder took eight corner kicks to Hope's seven. Lambert (3-2-1) made six saves, just one off his career high.
The next match for the Thunder is senior day which will be celebrated on Saturday, October 21 when the team faces Alma College at 1 p.m.