THOMASVILLE, Ga. — The Thomas University men's soccer team tied the Webber International Warriors Wednesday morning in a hard fought 1-1 battle.
The Night Hawks (3-4-2, 0-1-1 SUN) went down in the 17th minute after a poor giveaway in the midfield started a quick transition play for the undefeated Warriors (6-0-1, 0-0-1 SUN).
The counter attack developed with a combination of passes between WIU attackers Marc Bonafe and Joseph O'Sullivan, with Bonafe slotting the final touch just past TU goalkeeper Jorge Gonzalez, 1-0.
The rest of the half saw TU begin to ramp up its offensive efforts as the Night Hawks created all six of their first half chances after conceding the opening goal. Sustained pressure continued to mount in the half, but WIU goalkeeper Gianni Honsel answered the call each time, registering three saves in the opening 45.
Second half action began with suffocating pressure from the Night Hawks. Shots in the 48th and 50th minute forced another pair of saves, but as the game became heated with tensions rising down the stretch the momentum began to swing for TU.
A total of five yellow cards were presented in the contest as each team's foul count reached well into the teens, with Thomas given 13 as Webber got called with 19. The cards were fairly distributed, as TU received two while Webber was handed three.
Despite the cards, physical play continued and, ultimately, Thomas broke through in the final ten to level the contest.
The team's late equalizer came in the 83rd minute from a precise strike from James Hall. The sophomore from Crexley Green, England struck the ball with purpose, curling the 25 yard free kick around the wall and into the back of the net to knot the teams.
Continued efforts down the stretch for both teams proved unsuccessful as the two SUN Conference opponents settled with a 1-1 draw.
Up next, the Night Hawks continue SUN play as they travel to SCAD on October 12. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Thomas outshot Webber 17-7 in the contest.
- Goalkeeper Jorge Gonzalez finished the contest with one save.
- Thomas' lone goal from Hall was his first of the season and second of his career. Both from free kicks.
For up-to-date information on this game and other TU Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, play-by play, and feature stories of your TU men's soccer team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksMSocc.
