Four second-half goals powers Men’s Soccer past Bryan

DAYTON, Tenn. (October 12, 2022) – The Milligan University men's soccer team scored four second-half goals on route to a 5-1 victory at Bryan on Wednesday evening.

The Buffs and Loins entered the game with identical 4-1-2 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) records. Milligan's victory pushes the Buffs to 5-2-4, 5-1-2 AAC while Bryan falls to 4-5-3, 4-2-2.

Edward Burgos put the Buffs ahead in the game's first minute as he tallied his second goal of the season 45 seconds into the match off an assist by Mate Lengyel.

The Buffs fired five more shots on frame in the half but were unable to add on to their lead. With just under three minute left in the half, Ludvig Wille angled off a left-angled attacking player after the Lions quickly pushed up the field off a Milligan turnover. The Lion was forced wide and blasted a close-range shot into the side of the net. Bryan had the ball in the Milligan penalty area several times over the final two minutes, but the only shot the hosts managed missed wide left.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Alexsander Krogh sent a cross from left endline to a leaping Greg Anderson in front of the goal. Anderson aimed a header on target but the Lion's keeper made the save.

Bryan tied the game at one with a penalty kick goal in the 50th minute. The Buffs responded with a go-ahead goal less than two minutes later as Lengyel hooked a corner kick from the right corner into the net to give the Buffs a 2-1 edge.

In the 65th minute Elies Simo got his head on a corner kick at the right post and his attempt sailed just high of the crossbar. In the 70th minute, Jett Carter took the ball away from the Bryan back line and had his point-blank shot deflected, the rebound was tracked down by Asa Blake, whose up-close attempt was also rejected. Less than a minute later, the Buffs centered another pass right in front of the frame and Luke Bennett's shot was turned away.

The Buffs staved off a straight-on free kick just outside of the 18-yard box and an ensuing corner kick.

Bennett took the ball off a Bryan back-liner and stepped into a long-distance shot that barely cleared the crossbar high with just under 10 minutes remaining.

In the 83rd minute, Simo gave the Buffs more breathing room on yet another corner kick. Inaki Moreno inserted from the left corner, Bennett headed it to the right post and Simo blasted in his fifth goal of the season.

Blake put the game out of reach in the 85th minute as the Buffs' sent a ball forward, Blake tracked it down, juked a defender and beat the Bryan goalie to make it a 4-1 score.

Immediately following Blake's goal, the game was paused due to a lightning delay in the area. After 35 minutes, the teams returned to the field to play out the final five minutes of regulation.

Out of the delay, Moreno put in Milligan's fourth goal of the half in the 89th minute to bring the score to its final margin of 5-1.

The Buffs outshot Bryan 15-8 on the evening and outshot the Loins 14-4 on goal. Milligan recorded 14 corner kicks, 12 in the second half.

The Buffs return home for a Saturday matchup with Columbia (S.C.) at 6:00 p.m. for the first-ever Greene Games on campus. In conjunction with Bank of Tennessee, Adapt To Play will have representatives on campus for the game.