06 Sep 2023 Men’s Soccer drops heartbreaker to Memphis
CONWAY – The Central Arkansas men’s soccer team suffered an absolute heartbreak Monday night, falling in the final minute of play against the Memphis Tigers. After opening the scoring in the second half, the Bears gave up a pair late to let one slip at the final horn.
Central Arkansas drops to 0-3-1 with the decision, continuing to go through a monstrous nonconference schedule. Captain Jerry Gutierrez scored his first goal of the season to give the Bears an advantage, punching one home in the 65th minute.
The opening minutes of the match were very even, as both sides moved the ball in the early feeling-out period. Sohma Ichikawa let loose on the first shot of the match, pushing one high over the net. Memphis responded a few minutes later, but also missed over the crossbar.
After the initial phase of the game, Memphis controlled possession of the ball, starting to test Connor Wachtel and the defense. Five shots over a five minute span put the Bears on their back heels for a spell. But Central Arkansas bent as much as needed to avoid breaking, keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard through the halftime whistle. Memphis continued to keep up the pressure as the second half started, with the Bears countering and testing the Tiger defense. Finally, in the 65th, the Bears broke through, as Deon Travis launched a throw-in into the penalty box, and fell at the feet of Gutierrez, who finished to take the lead.
The intensity ramped up from there, as the Tigers became desperate for an equalizer. As the clock ticked down, the speed of the game continued to increase. Finally, in the 86th minute, the Tigers tied the match on a shot that snuck past the defense. Three minutes later, with just 32 seconds left in the match, a corner kick was collected and rifled in to give Memphis a 2-1 lead.
Central Arkansas is back on the field on Friday, taking a weekend trip to Colorado to face Air Force and Denver on Sunday.
