MARSHALL, Texas — Playing their first match at Cornish Field in 29 days, East Texas Baptist University came up shy of a victory over Hardin-Simmons University, 3-1, in a American Southwest Conference match on Thursday night. ETBU generated 18 shots and put nine on goal, including 10 shots after halftime and is now 4-5-2 and 0-2-2 in the ASC.
Jake Whittington scored the Tigers' goal and led the team with four shots, including two on goal.
Braxton Ladwig recorded the assist and put his lone shot on the frame.
Joshua Daley added three shots, with one on goal.
Joshua Weston played all 90 minutes in goal and finished with four saves.
Hardin-Simmons put ETBU behind in the first half on a Cowboys goal at 16:28, and the Tigers followed with corners and saved shots from
Jacob Wenzel and
Preston McLean. Weston made a save on Hardin-Simmons during a late Cowboys stretch, and Whittington put a shot on goal in the final minute. ETBU went into halftime trailing 1-0.
ETBU answered Hardin-Simmons' early second-half goal when Whittington scored from Ladwig's assist at 53:44, moving the score to 2-1. The Tigers later generated chances, including a good penalty kick at 63:17 that was waved off due to early entry in the box and shots on goal from Daley,
Dylan Garcia and
Aiden Fortenberry, but could not find another goal. Weston made three saves in the half before Hardin-Simmons added a goal at 83:40 to take the match 3-1.
ETBU stays home in Marshall, Texas and faces McMurry University on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Cornish Field.
HALF BREAKDOWN
First Half
- ETBU withstood early Hardin-Simmons pressure, including corner kicks at 4:51 and 14:04, while the Cowboys put a shot on goal at 8:20 and added another attempt at 11:15.
- Hardin-Simmons broke through at 16:28 for a 1-0 lead.
- ETBU pushed back with three corner kicks from 18:50 to 27:23 and forced saves on shots by Wenzel and McLean.
- Hardin-Simmons generated a late stretch with two corners and six shots from 32:41 to 43:54, but Weston saved Hardin-Simmons on-target try; ETBU had two shots in the final minute before Hardin-Simmons led 1-0 at halftime.
Second Half
- Hardin-Simmons made it 2-0 at 48:17 on a goal by the Cowboys, but ETBU answered at 53:44 when Whittington scored off Ladwig's assist to make it 2-1.
- Weston made saves on Hardin-Simmons shots at 55:11 and 58:42, and ETBU later had a penalty kick from Ladwig saved by the Cowboys at 63:17.
- ETBU generated several chances after that, including shots by Whittington, Daley and Garcia, while Weston added another save at 66:53.
- Hardin-Simmons pushed the margin to 3-1 on a Hardin-Simmons goal at 83:40, and ETBU followed with a corner and a Fortenberry shot saved before Hardin-Simmons finished off the 3-1 result.
ETBU Top Performers
Jake Whittington
- one goal
- four shots
- two shots on goal
Braxton Ladwig
- one assist
- one shot on goal
Joshua Weston
- four saves
- 90 minutes in goal
