CUTHBERT, Ga. – In a hard-fought battle against Blue Mountain Christian University, the Fighting Tigers fell, 2-1, as they opened conference play at Hord Athletic Complex. Thursday's game marked the first conference matchup for Andrew College Men's Soccer as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC).
Through the first 30 minutes of play, the Fighting Tigers played tremendous defense in the box. Unfortunately, in the 35th minute, the Toppers secured a 1-0 lead off a strike from Alfonso Vasquez to open the scoring.
Despite the deficit, the Fighting Tigers continued to play strong defense in the box and picked up the pace offensively as
Manuel Lopez logged his first goal of the season. In the 61st minute,
Paul Coaxum and Lopez played a beautiful two-man game to get the ball into the box. With the Toppers' goalkeeper off balance, Coaxum delivered the assist to Lopez for the equalizer.
The Fighting Tigers held the momentum, and with around 30 minutes remaining, Andrew was poised to complete the comeback and finish its first conference matchup with a win. Unfortunately, Nicholas Vieira gave the Toppers the lead once again with a goal in the 68th minute. The Toppers held onto the lead throughout the remainder of the match to secure the 2-1 victory.
The Fighting Tigers return to action as part of a doubleheader with the Lady Tigers on Saturday, Sept. 12, when both teams face the University of Tennessee Southern.
Located in Cuthbert, Georgia, Andrew College is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Fighting Tigers sponsor 16 sports and compete in the Southern States Athletic Conference.
