Men's Soccer leaned on its defense to pick up a home win Wednesday night.
The (RV) Ravens defeated the (RV) Central Methodist University Eagles, 2-1, showcasing a lot of heart and determination.
The Ravens struck first as Kody Argaez played forward to Felipe Angulo, who was able to get around a defender and slide a shot past the Eagles keeper to give the Ravens a 1-0 lead in the 6th minute.
It wasn't long until the Ravens doubled that lead. In the 12th minute, Argaez scored to make it 2-0 on a near-impossible angle after an assist from Pablo Gamboa.
Momentum started to shift late in the first half as the Eagles were awarded a Penalty Kick. CMU took advantage of the opportunity, cutting the Ravens lead to 2-1 in the 42nd minute.
The second half saw the Eagles start off on the front foot, pushing forward in search of an equalizer. The Ravens fell under more pressure for the final 21 minutes after Diego Acuna was shown a second yellow card, forcing the home side to defend their 1-goal lead down a man.
Despite the disadvantage in numbers, the Ravens emptied the proverbial gas tank to maintain their lead. The Eagles held most of the possession but didn't have much to show for it – CMU had 11 corner kicks in the game but only 3 shots on goal with the Ravens Noah Reuscher making 2 saves.
The Ravens were able to salt away the remainder of the half, preserving their 2-1 win.
With the win, the first over CMU since the 2018 season, the Ravens improve to 9-4-3 and 4-2-3 in Heart of America Conference play. The Ravens currently sit in the No. 4 spot in the Heart with just two games to play. Next up will be a 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 match at William Penn.
