FAYETTE, Mo. – It wasn't easy, but the reigning NAIA national champion and current No. 1 ranked Central Methodist men's soccer team pulled out a 1-0 victory over William Woods (Mo.) to begin its 2019 campaign.
The contest felt eerily similar to last season's opener against the Owls, which also ended in a 1-0 Eagles victory in Fulton. A season ago, Connor Blitz scored the winner in the final minutes of play. Tonight, in his first appearance in a CMU uniform, Jayton Johnson (FR/Columbia, Mo.) put the Eagles ahead for good with a header in the 55th minute.
"William Woods is always tough. It's a one-goal game every single time we play them at the beginning of the year," stated head coach Alex Nichols. "They're hard-working, blue collar, and well-coached, so it's always going to be a good game."
Tensions were high in the second half, which featured a physical battle on the pitch. Central was forced to play with a man down for the final ten minutes, but the defense remained solid to secure the win. Vince Gelei (SR/Dunakeszi, Hungary) earned the win in the box with a shutout, recording four saves en route to victory. As a team, CMU outshot William Woods 19-7, placing 10 of those attempts on frame.
"We expect a great deal out of our guys and if you include preseason, we haven't given up a goal yet. Our guys are working really hard and we're proud of them, but we've got to clean some things up," added Nichols.
The Eagles will resume play on Sunday, August 25th, with a trip to Campbellsville University. Match time in Kentucky is set for 7 PM (CST).
