Grand Rapids, Mich. While non-conference games with a crosstown opponent are always fun, they usually become hard-fought, physical battles where both coaches are hoping to get better and, most importantly, get everyone through healthy. Saturday afternoon was exactly that as Aquinas welcomed NCAA Division II neighbor Davenport to the Aquinas Athletic Field, with the Panthers escaping with a 1-0 victory despite the Saints owning much of the afternoon statistically.
Davenport 1, Aquinas 0
Aquinas came out on the attack, generating four shots in the opening 15 minutes as Joseph Farhat, Adam Flanders and Carter Hagan all tested the Davenport defense. The Panthers, however, made their first real opportunity count when Isiah Meyer found the back of the net at 17:14 off an assist from Drew Matyunas. AQ answered by continuing to apply pressure, with Flanders and Fikret Hasovic generating chances while Marcos Real and Hasovic helped the Saints pile up six first-half corner kicks.
The biggest sequence of the half came in the 35th minute when Hasovic appeared to have Aquinas' best opportunity to draw even, only for starting goalkeeper Beau Hudd to make a remarkable stop. Hudd was injured on the play and unable to continue, forcing Davenport to turn to an emergency backup in Matyunas, normally a field player, for the final eight-plus minutes of the half and the entire second half. The irony was hard to miss as Matyunas had assisted on Meyer's only goal of the match before suddenly finding himself between the posts.
The Saints spent much of the second half trying to break through against their unlikely opponent in goal. Trae Collins and Evan Goodfellow had early chances before Matyunas stopped Hasovic in the 54th minute and Flanders in the 59th. Aquinas continued to push numbers forward, with Brian Mosqueda, Emmanuel Bedolla, Hagan, Jackson Rittner and Jareth Balcaraz-Alvarado among the Saints seeing time as Head Coach Luke Ruff searched for the equalizer. Real put another shot on frame in the 82nd minute before Collins forced Matyunas into one final save on a header with just over a minute remaining.
Even goalkeeper Ivan Radovic joined the late push, coming forward on AQ's final corner and getting a shot away in the closing seconds, but it sailed high. Aquinas finished with a commanding 17-8 advantage in shots, including an 8-2 edge in the opening half, and held a 9-4 advantage in corner kicks. Flanders led AQ with six shots, Hasovic finished with three and Collins and Real added two apiece, while Radovic made two saves at the other end. Matyunas finished with four saves in his emergency role after Hudd made one before leaving the match. The result moved Davenport to 1-2-2 on the season while Aquinas slipped to 2-3.
Saints Snapshots
- Chances Were There: Aquinas dictated much of the afternoon, producing 17 shots and nine corners, but the Saints couldn't find the final touch in a match that offered plenty of opportunities.
- One Chance, One Goal: Davenport didn't need much. The Panthers scored on their first shot of the afternoon at 17:14, and somehow that single finish survived the remaining 72-plus minutes.
- From Assist to Emergency Duty: Drew Matyunas assisted on the game's only goal, then found himself in goal after Beau Hudd's injury. The field player turned emergency keeper made four saves over the final 53:07 to preserve the shutout.
- Still Searching for the Breakthrough: All three AQ losses have finished 1-0. The Saints have been in every match, but finding the timely finish remains the difference between a promising performance and a result.
- The WHAC Is Waiting: Saturday completed another piece of Aquinas' non-conference preparation. With Homecoming Week ahead and conference play approaching, Ruff's message remains consistent: learn from these tests and be ready when the WHAC race begins.
Coach's Comments
While Ruff would have preferred a different result, the Aquinas head coach emphasized that every early-season test has been preparing his group for what begins when WHAC play arrives.
"Obviously, we want to win every time we step on the pitch, and there are things from today that we need to clean up. But our focus from the beginning has been getting this group ready for the WHAC season. We've been tested, we've learned a lot about ourselves, and I believe we're ready to compete when conference play begins."
Up Next
The Saints return to the Aquinas Athletic Field twice during Homecoming Week. First comes an afternoon businessperson's special Wednesday, when AQ welcomes Spring Arbor for a 3 p.m. kickoff. Joey Sutherlin will have the call on the AQSaints YouTube Network.
Then, on Homecoming Saturday, men's soccer gets a full day of Saints athletics started at noon when Aquinas welcomes WHAC foe Cleary. Sutherlin and Nate Wangler will have the call on the AQSaints YouTube Network.
Be sure to visit AQSaints.com for live statistics, streaming links and complete postgame coverage of Aquinas men's soccer and all other Saints sports.
It's a great day to be a Saint.
