Wingate, N.C. – The Catawba College men's soccer team came away with a key conference win on the road against the Wingate Bulldogs on Tuesday night, taking all the points at Pride Park thanks to a decisive late score from forward Juan Pablo Nicoletti in the 82nd minute.
TEAM STATS
- Catawba outshot Wingate 12-9 on the game, with half of Catawba's shots testing Wingate keeper Aleksa Janjic. The Bulldogs put four shots on goal
- Catawba had six opportunities from corners to Wingate's five
- Catawba's back line played an effective offsides trap throughout the match, with Wingate seeing the offsides flag go up six times. Catawba forwards wouldn't be penalized at all during the course of the match
- Catawba did get whistled for more fouls however, with 16 compared to Wingate's 12
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Vito Veneria, Sebastia Cerda-Tous, and Nicoletti each had two shots throughout the match
- Goalkeeper Zak Stiffler recorded four save for his second straight clean sheet, and third overall this season
- Nicoletti's goal was his first of the season, coming at an opportune time for Catawba to secure the victory
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
- Catawba led the way offensively in the first half, outshooting Wingate eight to five and forcing Janjic into four saves, while the visiting back line kept the Bulldogs to being able to test Stiffler just twice
- Catawba came close in the 21st minute, with both Veneria and Nicoletti forcing a pair of saves over a 30-second span
- Wingate forward Pedro Santos tested Stiffler for the first time with a low effort just before the half-hour mark
- Both sides would see efforts rattle the crossbar, with Cerda-Tous for Catawba and Owen Marshall for Wingate coming close respectively
- Joe Bennett and Caleb Christner would also see shots turned away by Janjic in the first 45 minutes
SECOND HALF
- Wingate was able to match Catawba for most of the second half, with both sides taking four shots and Stiffler having to make another pair of saves
- Bulldogs forward Tajay Grant forced a save from Stiffler in the 61st minute as neither team allowed any opportunities for the opening 15 minutes coming out of the half
- It wouldn't be until the 79th minute when Catawba finally broke through the Wingate defense and put a shot on target, with Kenny Hassler seeing his attempt parried by Janjic
- But Catawba wouldn't be discouraged, and were rewarded for their efforts by Nicoletti, who capped a terrific solo move by firing home in the bottom left corner to finally break the deadlock at the 81:50 mark
- Wingate would surge forward in an attempt to equalize, seeing two efforts go off-target as Catawba's defense held their own. The Bulldogs would have a chance as the seconds ticked away in the 89th minute, but Stiffler was able to deal with Harry Bircumshaw's strike and close the deal for Catawba
UP NEXT
- Catawba is back in action at home in Salisbury on Saturday, September 23rd as they welcome the Tusculum Pioneers to Frock Field for a 7:00PM EST match as the second part of a doubleheader alongside the No. 3 ranked women's squad.
