INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian men's soccer team put together a strong first half on senior day, but could not hold on as Indiana Wesleyan routed the Knights by a score of 3-1 on Saturday.
Five Marian seniors were honored before the game, with Will Mann, Kent Bailey, Axel Perez-Leon, Zach Quante, and Jalen Rice all being recognize for their time as a Knight.
Indiana Wesleyan got the offense started in the first half, firing off four shots in the first 10 minutes of play. However, it was Marian to get on the scoreboard first behind the effort of Nate Van Keulen who put one in the back netting on a free kick to give the Knights the 1-0 lead at the 11:09 mark.
The lead only lasted for around six minutes as IWU's Giuseppe Santacroce got one past the Marian keeper to tie things up at 1-1. Both teams continued to work the ball the remainder of the half, with the Wildcats posting four more shots to the Knights' one to send the teams into halftime tied.
After the break, Marian was the first to strike as Sebastian Gonzalez had a shot attempt go high before a corner kick and a header by Jalen Rice that had the IWU goalie make a save. Even after the offensive threat made by the Knights, the Wildcats found their second goal of the match in the 57th minute from Brandon Nyagurungo to take the 2-1 lead.
Marian struggled to find a groove after the goal, as Indiana Wesleyan controlled possession the remainder of the half. At the 68:55 mark, Nyagurungo would add to his stat line, scoring his second goal of the day to give his team the 3-1 lead.
The Knights had good looks late, with Rice, Sam Goodin, and Van Keulen all making attempts. However, time would not be on Marian's side as the clock would run out, and Indiana Wesleyan would hold on to win 3-1.
Van Keulen and Rice led the way, posting three shots each, while Van Keulen had one goal. Gonzalez and Goodin each posted one shot, while Alvaro Rueda played the full 90 minutes in goal, making 10 saves.
Marian will return to action on November 5 for the Crossroads League Quarterfinals.
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