Taylor's Goal With 7 Seconds Remaining Lifts Cleary to Best Start in Program History

(Midway, KY)-- The Cleary Cougar men's soccer team was on the road to the Bluegrass State on Thursday, as they played a non-conference road game against the Midway University Eagles.

After a thirty minute lightning delay prevented the game from starting on time, the Eagles and the Cougars got things going at 1:30.  Cleary had two excellent chances within the first ten minutes.  On the first chance, Felix Arndt was sent free down the left hand side, before cutting in and fired a shot towards the goal, but it was wide to the right of goal, and kept the game scoreless.  Moments later, Midway was called for a foul and yellow card, setting up a free kick in a dangerous area.  Oscar Clarke's delivery towards the back post cleared the defense, and found Niels Koert.  Koert's shot from close range missed the target, and the score remained 0-0.  Halfway through the opening half, Cleary's Noah Searl got behind the defense, and with only the goalkeeper to beat, was taken down by the Eagle goalie, which would have been a card and potentially a penalty kick.  Unfortunately the offside flag came up, and any argument for a foul was negated.  Just minutes later, the game turned on it's head, when Midway's Brayden Gillman was called for his second yellow card, and the Cougars would play the remainder of the game up a man.  The game would get muddied up with multiple fouls and yellow cards, but neither team was able to generate much offensively.  The Eagles had the half's best chance in the 36th minute, as they forced a Cougar turnover and forced a diving save out of Austin Freemire, who was up to the task.  The two teams would go into the half tied 0-0.

In the opening minutes of the second half, the Cougars earned back to back corner kicks.  On the second of those, Oscar Clarke's pass got through the defense to a wide open Jack Heald.  Heald's took his shot attempt on the first touch, but it was just a hair high, as it hit the crossbar, and bounced out of the dangerous area, and kept the Cougars off the scoreboard.  That unfortunate break was costly, as Midway sent a bouncing ball down the field, where the Eagles' Saleh Ekuchi hit his shot on the first touch, and beat Austin Freemire, to score the opening goal of the game.  In the 65th minute, Austin Freemire sent a free kick down the field, where it was headed forward by Noah Searl, where Atario Brown won the foot race to the ball before being taken down in the box, as a penalty kick was awarded to the Cougars.  Jack Heald was given the chance to tie the game with the kick, but the Eagle goalkeeper guessed the correct direction, and saved Heald's attempt, and the score remained 1-0.  In the 69th minute, Callum Johnson sent a cross from the right hand side that found the foot of Felix Arndt.  Arndt was well defended on his left foot, and centered a pass to Atario Brown, who fired his shot right at the Eagle goalkeeper.  Atario Brown would have the last laugh in the 84th minute.  With Cleary putting pressure on the Eagle defense, the ball was switched from right to left to the foot of Jack Heald, who passed it up to Brown.  Brown turned and fired a curling shot into the top right corner of the goal, scoring his first goal as a Cougar, and tying the game at 1-1.  With three minutes to go, things got ugly, as Toby Mattock committed a red card foul, and the Eagles responded with two additional red cards, so the hosts would finish the game with eight players on the field.  Cleary was desperate for a winner, and it would come with under 10 seconds remaining in the game.  Austin Freemire sent a long kick up the field, where it was headed by Atario Brown, and fell directly to the foot of Luca Taylor.  Taylor's shot was taken with his left foot, and beat the goalkeeper into the net, scoring the game-winning goal, and his first career goal in the process.

Austin Freemire made 1 save on 2 shots faced to earn his second win of the season.  The goals by Atario Brown and Luca Taylor were their first goals of the season.  Cleary outshot the Eagles 10-3 in the game, and forced 5 saves out of the Eagle goalkeeper.  Cleary held a 7-0 advantage on corner kicks, while the two teams combined for 23 fouls, 10 yellow cards, and 3 red cards.

Cleary is now 3-0 on the season.  This is the best start for the men's soccer team in program history.  The Cougars will be back in action on Saturday, September 6, when they travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to play the Cincinnati-Clermont Cougars in a non-conference matchup.  The game is set to begin at 1:00 PM.