ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's soccer team erased a halftime lead by visiting Kalamazoo College, battling to a 2-2 draw in the contest. Junior Alhusain Yahya led the way for the team scoring one goal and setting up the other.
Both teams would find early success moving the ball around the field, with action spent equally in both offensive zones. Neither team, however, would put a shot on target until the 26th minute of the half. The Hornets would strike first forcing a low save from junior Aidan McGonagle.
McGonagle made another save three minutes later, but let the rebound get to far from him giving an empty net to Kalamazoo as they took a 1-0 lead.
Ten minutes after that, the Thunder received a prime chance to tie the game. The team was awarded a free kick just outside the 18-yard box, which junior Tyler Murphy took, banging the ball off of the crossbar. The ricochet went straight down and somehow the opposition's keeper kept it from crossing the goal line.
It was the last real scoring threat of the half and the Thunder entered intermission down by a goal.
Yahya started the second on the field and made an immediate difference. The team received a corner kick opportunity in the first five minutes of the period. Junior Francesco Mazzei took the attempt and positioned a beautiful set-piece into the middle of the field. Yahya finished off the play with a diving header into the back of the net.
The next 30 minutes belonged to the Thunder, they recorded two more shots that caused saves, while the Hornets were unable to do the same.
Then in the 77th minute of play, Yahya took the ball into the corner and fired a cross to the edge of the penalty area where sophomore Luke Kearns was waiting to fire a shot into the net, giving the team a 2-1 lead.
The lead looked like it would last, but with just under two minutes remaining in the game, Kalamazoo found the back of the net again, tying the game at two.
Yahya almost finished off with another heroic moment, working his way to the final shot of the game, but going just wide of the net.
Trine ends the day with a 5-4-2 overall record and a 0-1-1 record in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play. The team will travel to face Olivet College on Tuesday, Oct. 11 for their next contest. The game is set to start at 2 p.m.
