FREDERICK, Md. – The men's soccer squad celebrated their senior night with a first half header by
Jonathan Fuentes (Hagerstown, Md./Oakdale) to take the lead and then tussled through a physical second half to make it out with a 1-0 win over King's College of Pennsylvania at Thomas Athletic Field on Saturday evening.
Inside Box Score
Fuentes scores his first goal of the season.
Lucas Godfroy (Adamstown, Md./Urbana) notches his second assist of the season.
Aidan Wright (Ijamsville, Md./Oakdale) led the team in shots with four.
Adam Labows (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown) made four saves to earn the shutout win.
How it Happened
The Monarchs generated the first scoring opportunity of the match in the fourth minute when Joaquin Cedillo tested the Hood defense, but goalkeeper
Adam Labows (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown) made the save to keep the game scoreless.
The Blazers seniors were ready to rip after pregame celebrations, settling into the match with chances of their own.
Aidan Wright (Ijamsville, Md./Oakdale) fired a shot just wide in the 10th minute before
Jonathan Fuentes (Hagerstown, Md./Oakdale) narrowly missed the target five minutes later, which would foreshadow what would come.
Hood broke through in the 18', following a foul that gave the Blazers possession in the attacking third, Godfroy on the run away from the goal sent a cross to Fuentes who side-swiped the ball off the cranium passed the keeper to put Hood ahead 1-0.
The Blazers continued to push for a second goal throughout the opening half.
Zeth Zambrano (Austin, Tx./Barca Residency Academy) missed just high in the 21', and substitute
Timmy Hill (Stephens City, Va./Sherando) nearly doubled the lead in the 30', forcing a save from King's goalkeeper Ben Van Valkenburg.
Additional first-half opportunities came from Wright,
Adrian Corsi (Centreville, Va./Westfield), and
Cristian Topovich (Frederick, Md./Oakdale), helping Hood carry a 1-0 advantage into halftime while outshooting the Monarchs 9-3 over the opening 45 minutes.
The Monarchs answered with several attacking chances midway through the half. Labows came through with critical saves on consecutive opportunities, first stopping a shot by Mordocher Musinguzi in the 56th minute and then denying Cedillo in the 61' to preserve the one-goal cushion.
Hood nearly found an insurance goal with just over 20 minutes remaining. In the 70th minute,
Austin Heffner (Frederick, Md./Urbana) struck the right post, narrowly missing what would have been the Blazers' second tally of the contest.
King's continued to search for the equalizer late, but Labows again answered the call in the 75th minute with a save on a shot by Parker Gordon. Hood successfully managed the final minutes, allowing no goals and securing its second shutout victory in the last three matches.
Analysis
Hood took the only corners of the game.
The Blazers outshot the Monarchs 14-9.
29 fouls took place in the match.
For the Opponent
Joaquin Cedillo let the Monarchs in shots with four.
Notes
Hood finishes nonconference play with a 4-5 record, winning two of their last three.
King's College (Pa) falls to 3-5-1.
Up Next
The squad will host Alvernia to open up conference play on Saturday, October 3 with a 1 p.m. start ahead of Homecoming Weekend at Hood College.
