Siloam Springs, Ark. – Just as the Lady Lions faced a tough test against a ranked John Brown team, the Nelson men's soccer team faced the No. 14 Golden Eagles following the women's match.
Ranked second in the Sooner Athletic Conference, John Brown proved to be a difficult opponent for the Lions, who were unable to pull off the upset in Arkansas, falling 4-1.
The Golden Eagles came out swinging, scoring in the first minute of the match to take an early 1-0 lead. However, Nelson's defense settled in and managed to keep John Brown off the scoreboard for the remainder of the first half, keeping the Lions within striking distance heading into the break.
John Brown turned up the pressure in the second half, finding the back of the net three more times in the 62nd, 66th and 81st minutes to extend its lead to 4-0.
Despite the deficit, the Lions continued to fight until the final whistle. Freshman
Daniel Alvarado provided a late spark, scoring in the 86th minute to put Nelson on the board and cut the deficit to 4-1 before the match came to a close.
Although the Lions struggled to find their footing early, their offense showed more life in the second half, recording nine shot attempts after the break. Nelson finished with 11 total shots, putting five on goal.
John Brown, meanwhile, kept its offense rolling throughout the match, recording 10 shots in the first half and 12 in the second. The Golden Eagles finished with 22 total shot attempts, including 13 on goal, putting consistent pressure on the Nelson defense.
Goalkeeper
Yahir Perez stayed busy throughout the match, recording nine saves to keep the Lions within reach despite John Brown's offensive attack.
The loss drops Nelson to 4-7-2 overall on the season, with three matches remaining.
Up Next
The Lions will look to pick up their fifth win when they return home to the Lions Athletic Complex on Tuesday to face Mid-America Christian University at 7:30 p.m., following the women's match.
Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.
