BROWNWOOD, Texas - McMurry Men's Soccer dropped a hard-fought conference road match on Saturday night, falling 2-1 to Howard Payne at Citizens National Bank Field.
Following a scoreless first half in which both defenses stood tall, Howard Payne broke the deadlock in the 67th minute to take a 1-0 advantage.
McMurry answered back in the 75th minute to level the match. Off a War Hawk corner kick,
Arsany Ibrahim saw his initial attempt blocked before quickly collecting the rebound and putting the shot away for his second goal of the season.
Howard Payne regained the edge in the 79th minute, netting the game-winner. The War Hawks continued to push into the final minute, earning a corner kick in the 90th minute and forcing a last-gasp strike from
Justyn Judie that the defense turned away.
Howard Payne out-shot McMurry 27-12, but
Enrique Cabello turned in an eight-save performance in goal to keep the War Hawks within striking distance throughout the evening. McMurry also generated sustained set-piece pressure, finishing with a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Ibrahim led McMurry with two shots on goal, followed by Judie and
Moise Munezero with one apiece.
Johnny Rocha paced the attack with three total shots, while
Nicholas Irigoyen, Judie, and Ibrahim recorded two shots each.
The War Hawks return to action Saturday, Oct. 31, when they head to the HSU Soccer Complex to face Hardin-Simmons University at 7:30 p.m. for their regular season finale.
