KISSIMMEE, Florida – The McMurry University men's soccer team bounced back from a 3-0 loss yesterday in the first round of the NCCAA National Championship tournament with a thrilling, come-from-behind, 2-1 victory over Bethel College on Thursday afternoon.
 
The Pilots of Bethel got on the board first in the first half, when Pedro Amaral put in an unassisted goal at the 8:49 mark of the frame. Neither team would score the rest of the half as the War Hawks went into intermission down, 1-0.
 
In the second half, the War Hawks caught a break at the 63:11 mark when they were the beneficiaries of an own goal by Bethel, to tie the game at 1-1. Just 51 seconds later, Cody Gentry played a great ball to Ardavan Vahidtari who beat the keeper for his first goal of the season. That goal would prove to be the game winner, as the War Hawks ran out the clock the rest of the way to take the game, 2-1.
 
Zack Brewer had a great performance for the War Hawks between the pipes as he made eight saves, all in the second half, to keep the Pilots at bay and preserve the one goal victory.
 
For Vahidtari, his first shot on goal of the season proved to be the game winner, and he now has two points on the year.

"I'm really proud of the way our team bounced back from the loss yesterday," said head coach Paul Tate. "We just kept fighting today, and these guys really showed their heart out there. I couldn't ask for a better group of student-athletes."
 
McMurry will play in its final game of the season when it takes on Roberts Wesleyan College in the fifth-place game on Saturday. The game is scheduled for a 10 a.m. eastern, 9 a.m. central, start time.