FAYETTE, Mo. – The visiting Bethel Pilots gave the No. 1 Central Methodist men's soccer team all it could handle on a crisp Friday evening contest, but a Rodrigo Paredes (JR/Asuncion, Paraguay) header early in the second half gave the Eagles all the breathing room they needed to triumph.
"It was a good game tonight," stated head coach Alex Nichols. "We've watched this team on film, and we knew Bethel was going to be a challenge coming into this game."
A scoreless first half was dominated by the defenses, as the Eagles could only muster four shots to the Pilots' two. But a corner kick by Marcos German (SO/Madrid, Spain) in the 51st minute changed that momentum.
German's volley found the head of Carlos Scheckermann (FR/Reus, Spain) on the far post, which was brought into play and put into the back of the net by Rodrigo Paredes for the game winner.
Both teams saw a physical battle as they combined for six yellow cards and 41 fouls while the play was focused on the midfield action. As a team, Central Methodist outshot the Pilots at a 16-5 margin, placing seven tries on frame.
"We're excited to get another tough win. Every game is going to be hard moving forward and we know every team is going to show up giving us everything they've got, which means we have to be prepared for that in every single game," added Nichols. "Our guys work hard and we'll be ready for that."
The Eagles will return to action on Sunday afternoon to host the No. 7-ranked Cardinal Stritch Wolves. Game time is set for 2:30 PM on Davis Field.
