Photo Credit: Thom Kennedy '21
MOUNT BERRY, Ga. – The Brevard College Tornados Men's Soccer team (0-2) fell narrowly, 1-0, to the Berry College Vikings (2-0) in a Sunday afternoon match that closed out the two-day Berry Invitational in Mount Berry, Ga.
Brevard senior goalkeeper Patrick Hall (0-2), along with a backline consisting of seniors Eric Lenhart, Jackson Riddle, and Marquis Dickerson – along with freshman Evan Ernst – put together a spirited defensive effort for a majority of the contest. Hall recorded two saves on the afternoon.
The Tornados held the Vikings in check for much of the afternoon, however, a 76th-minute header from Berry's Jake Williamson played off a cross from JP Phillips proved to be the game's decider, as the forward's header was just beyond the reach of Hall's outstretched arms and into the left corner.
Tornado freshmen Pedro Herrera and Vinicius Gianniccini were the two main shot-takers for Brevard in the contest. Herrera took three shots, including two on-target, while Gianniccini let off two shots, both of which forced a Berry save.
Berry held a slim 10-7 shot advantage over Brevard in the match, however, the Tornados took five shots-on-goal compared to the Vikings' three.
The Tornados conceded five total corner kicks, while the Vikings didn't allow a single corner. In total, the Vikings tallied five saves – four coming from goalkeeper Ben Colebaugh and one being a team save.
Both sides traded scoring chances in the first half, but to no avail. Herrera created the first opportunity of the match for Brevard, however, the shot was off target.
Berry answered back with five-straight shots over the course of the next 30 minutes, one of which was saved by Hall. Brevard freshman Nicolas Maganini took a shot with less than three minutes remaining in the first half, but the attempt was stifled by the Berry keeper.
The first 30 minutes of the second half saw Brevard and Berry trade shot attempts, as Herrera took two shots-on-target.
Berry converted their game-clinching attempt in the 76th-minute, sealing the contest thereafter. Following his goal, Williamson took two more shots that were off target.
Giannaccini provided a final push for the Tornados in the final five minutes, firing off two shots that were saved. However, the effort fell just short as the Vikings wrapped up their 1-0 victory.
Brevard returns to action on the road as the Tornados travel to nearby Montreat, N.C. to face off with NAIA opponent Montreat College on Saturday, September 7 at 7 p.m. The Tornados open USA South Conference play on Saturday, September 14 at 3 p.m., meeting the Covenant College Scots at Ives-Lemel Family Field.
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