The LaGrange men's soccer team upended Covenant 3-2 in a Collegiate Conference of the South game Saturday at Panther Field. The Panthers improved to 6-3-1 overall and 1-0-1 in conference play. Covenant (5-3-3, 1-1 CCS) came into the game regionally ranked and 15-0 against LC.
"The team really dug deep today to pull out a big result against a really good Covenant team," said Coach Ryan Dickson. "I was very proud of the whole team with the determination and they showed throughout the game. Now we have to keep building from here and focus on another tough game against Sewanee tomorrow."
The Scots opened with three shots in the first minute, with LC keeper Andrew Cole making a point-blank save. Cole had 10 saves in the game, three coming in the first 15 minutes.
The Panthers opened the scoring in the 18th minute. Enrique Hernandez turned a through ball from Blake Webb into a breakaway. Hernandez beat keeper Will Hicks for his 13th goal of the season.
The two teams traded penalty kick goals. Jay Patterson tied the game for the Scots with his penalty kick goal in the 36th minute. The tie lasted only a minute when Hernandez scored his 14th goal of the season on a penalty kick of his own for a 2-1 lead. The second goal was Hernandez's 35th of his career, tying him with Errick Sturm (2016-19) for first in career goals.
Covenant tied the game 14 minutes into the second half on an unassisted goal by Blake Myers. It remained tied until the 87th minute. After a Covenant foul, Blake Webb sent a perfectly placed free kick in front of the net. Nicholas Smeich headed in the ball past Hicks for the go-ahead goal. It was Smeich's second of the season.
Cole preserved the lead for the Panthers. He made two straight saves in front of the net to turn away the Scots' final threats.
The Panthers face Sewanee on Sunday at Panther Field beginning at 2 p.m. Sewanee enters the 8-1 and ranked regionally. The Tigers have surrendered just one goal this season.
