SAN ANTONIO – Freshman
Dominick Faletto's third goal of the season cut Incarnate Word's lead in half, 2-1, with under 20 minutes left in regulation, but the Cardinals scored a late insurance goal to dismiss the Huskies, 3-1, Thursday evening from Benson Stadium.
"After the first 25 minutes, we settled down and started to get the game under better control," said HBU head coach
Steve Jones. "The boys fought hard and got a great goal. We had some very good moments tonight, but too many mistakes that they capitalized on. We have to stop giving up first-half goals and getting ourselves having to play catchup."
Faletto,
Erick Aragon, and
George Kelley paced HBU's (7-7-1 overall, 3-3-1 WAC) offense with three shot attempts apiece.
Marcelo Acuna registered the assist.
Chance Pope finished one save shy of tying his career high, finishing with eight, as he suffered only his second loss of the season.
HBU had no answer for UIW's (7-6-0, 3-4-0) Ben Carson, who had a five-point game with two goals and one assist. He took a match-high nine shots, while the Cardinals' leading scorer Noah Keats attempted seven. In goal, Chase Therrien made four saves.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute, as Conway sent a cross into the box that Keats fired from 15 yards out.
In the 60th minute, Therrien made a spectacular leaping save to deny Acuna a goal and keep the Cardinals up by one.
Therrien stopped a
Josue Palomino scoring chance off a Huskies' corner in the 61st minute. Eight minutes later, UIW took a 2-0 lead, as Therrien moved the ball up-field to Dylan Kelly, who found Conway for the score.
Seconds after Pope made a save on Keats' scoring opportunity, HBU went down the field and cut the Cardinals' lead in half, as Acuna passed to Faletto, who beat Therrien from eight yards out.
HBU maintained the pressure, with back-to-back corners and two Aragon shot attempts, but UIW weathered the storm.
In the 88th minute and HBU with the corner kick, the Cardinals cleared the ball away and had a 3-on-1 opportunity with the Huskies' defense up for the equalizer. Pope made a diving stop on Keats' shot for a UIW corner. HBU fouled shortly after the corner, setting up Conway 29 yards out, who beat Pope far side to give UIW a 3-1 lead with under a minute in regulation.
UIW outshot HBU, 22-14, in the match and held a 10-8 advantage in corner kicks.
HBU returns home for the next two matches: versus CSU Bakersfield next Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and San Jose State Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. on "Senior Day."
