The No. 8 ranked men's soccer team defeated Hendrix College (Ariz.) 3-0, last Sunday afternoon, finishing the Warrior Classic with a 2-0 record.
After winning six straight games, the Eagles remain undefeated this season with a 6-0-1 record. The squad dominated the first game of the tournament.
They scored five goals while taking 16 shots on goal. The defense only gave up one goal.
Forward Jason Andrejchak, who was selected to the All-Tournament Team, was impressed by the victory.
"We really worked well together and moved the ball and created scoring opportunities, which resulted in us winning the game 5-1," he said.
While the Eagles did not score as many goals in their second match of the tournament, they still dictated the gameplay. They outshot Hendrix by 29-11 and only allowed three shots on net.
Defender Carl Credle headed the first goal of the match in the 41st minute of play off of a free kick from midfielder Connor Curtin.
Less than three minutes later, the Eagles increased their lead to 2-0, scoring off a another free kick. Midfielder Scott Haley kicked the ball with tremendous force, sending it into the back of the net from nearly 25 yards out. Hendrix only had one shot on goal in the entire first half.
The Eagles continued to dictate gameplay throughout the second half.
The lone second half goal came from freshman midfielder Jason McCartney in the 73rd minute of play. Assisted by forward Sebastian Hardington, the goal gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead. Soon after, the final whistle blew, earning the team another shutout.
Most impressive about the team's play throughout the tournament was its incredible defense. The Eagles only surrendered one goal throughout their two games. Even more remarkable, the team only allowed eight shots on net.
Leading the defensive effort was co-captain Matt Sherr. For his amazing play, Sherr was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Warrior Classic and UAA Defensive Player of the Week.
When asked about how he felt about being named Defensive Player of the Week, Sherr responded by praising his teammates' incredible play.
"All of the defenders played a significant role in our success. Any of them could have been named Defensive Player of the Week. At the end of the day, if we keep winning, thats all that matters," he said.
The Eagles return to action this Saturday at Berry College (Ga.) to take on the Berry Vikings.
– By Michael Scheck
