Shreveport– The Centenary men's soccer team recorded a 3-2 comeback victory over the Howard Payne University Yellow Jackets in a non-conference contest on Saturday afternoon at Mayo Field.
The Gents (3-3-2) fell behind the Yellow Jackets (1-6) by a score of 2-1 early in the second half, but scored the match's final two goals to secure the home win. The Gents, who tied East Texas Baptist 2-2 on Thursday in Marshall, Texas, appeared to be headed toward the same result until freshman D Dylan Clark (Allen, Texas) converted a penalty kick in the 75th minute for a 3-2 lead.
Centenary's aggressive defense made the lead hold up over the final 15 minutes as the Maroon and White snapped a two-game losing streak and surpassed last season's win total in the process. The Gents also improved to 3-0-1 at home this season and are 5-2-5 at Mayo Field over the last two seasons.
Centenary junior Sam Brocato (Leesville, La.) made his third start for the Gents and picked up the win as he played all 90 minutes and made a season-best seven saves. Howard Payne GK Brandon Padilla (1-6) took the loss as he yielded all three goals and made four saves in his 90 minutes.
The Gents and Yellow Jackets each took 18 shots and Centenary took a season-high nine corner kicks while the visitors took three. Howard Payne was whistled for 17 fouls to nine for the Gents. Five yellow cards were issues – three to Centenary and a pair to Howard Payne.
Ethan Mauldin gave the Yellow Jackets an early 1-0 lead as he found the net in the 15th minute with an unassisted goal. Senior D Adam Bihler tied the match with his first goal of the season and second of his career at the 25:46 mark, assisted by senior F/MF Michael Smith (Baton Rouge, La.)
Smith took a teammates' pass just past midfield and fed the ball to a streaking Bihler who raced down the near sideline and stopped 30 yards way from the goal and rifled a high-arching ball beautifully into the left corner of the net past Padilla.
The match was tied at the half and then the Yellow Jackets regained the lead at 2-1 as Emmanuel Nshimiyimana scored in the 50th minute with the assist going to Wilondja Ebula. Centenary evened the match again in the 63rd minute as senior F Rene Escobar (Cypress, Texas) scored off an assist from freshman F Zack Bowers (Missouri City, Texas). The Gents' defense corralled the ball just past midfield following a nice, clean slide tackle and Bowers sent a nice header toward the net and Escobar snuck the ball past Padilla after it deflected off of a Yellow Jacket defender.
Freshman D Dylan Clark (Allen, Texas) was fouled inside the box in the 75th minute and made the most of it as he converted on a game-winning penalty kick, his first-career goal. The Yellow Jackets took five shots in the final 15 minutes including a pair on goal that Brocato saved.
The Gents will be off for the next five days before beginning Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play at home on Friday versus Colorado College in a match set for 7 p.m.
See the complete Gents' schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/msoc/2023-24/schedule
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests. Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests.
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