McPherson College defeated the Sterling College Warriors 6-1 on Wednesday, Sept. 24. The Bulldogs scored four first-half goals, two of the on pentaly shots, to take a commanding lead. McPherson ended with six goals, half of them from penalty shots. Despite the Warriors’ 23 shots and 11 on goal, they were only able to find the net once, late in the second half.
The first half began with Sterling facing a challenging start as McPherson took an early lead when Zane Sullivan scored in the 3rd minute. Sterling’s Cassidy Kelly made crucial saves to contain further damage early, but McPherson extended their advantage with a penalty kick by Ryoga Oki in the 15th minute.
Despite efforts from Sterling’s Ruben Guzman and Jonathan Torres, the Bulldogs capitalized on their opportunities. Rawson Harris added to McPherson’s tally in the 27th minute, and Elliot Powrie converted another penalty kick in the 33rd minute.
Sterling’s attempts to close the gap included shots from Medupe Sithole and Jose Pacheco, but the McPherson defense held firm. The half concluded with Sterling trailing 4-0, needing to regroup for the next half.
The second half began with Sterling’s Floyd Ransom taking two early shots, both saved by McPherson’s goalie Mauro Soria. Sterling’s persistence paid off as Ruben Guzman converted a penalty kick in the 56th minute, narrowing the deficit to 4-1. The Bulldogs responded with a penalty goal from Nathan Van Wyck in the 75th minute, extending their lead to 5-1.
Despite several attempts from Sterling, including shots by Chimela Orji and Michael Kyalo, Soria continued to deny further scoring. McPherson added another goal in the 81st minute, as Van Wyck scored with an assist from Oki. The second half concluded with McPherson leading 6-1.
Kelly made seven saves while facing 13 shots, anchoring the defense from the goalkeeper position. Guzman scored one goal from four shots, with three of those on target, leading the team’s offensive efforts. Daniel Stone recorded five shots, two of which were on goal, contributing to the team’s attacking pressure. Torres also tallied five shots, adding to Sterling’s attempts on goal.
With the loss, Sterling moves to 2-4-1 overall, 0-3 in conference. The Warrior’s next match will be Saturday, Sept. 27 at 1:30 p.m. in Winfield, Kan. as they take on Southwestern College (5-3, 2-1).
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors’ live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
