SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Two goals by
O'Neal Moore (Houston/Alief Taylor HS) helped the University of the Incarnate Word men's soccer team to a 3-2 conference win over CSU Bakersfield on Wednesday night at Benson Stadium.
This game was the first Western Athletic Conference game for the Cardinals, who are now 5-2 overall and 1-0 in conference. UIW entered the game ranked ninth in the region while Bakersfield came in ranked 10th.
The game started off with much of the possession belonging to the Cardinals, but neither team had many opportunities in the first half. UIW had five shots, but only one on goal, while the Roadrunners (2-3-2, 0-1) attempted three shots and one on goal. The lone shot on goal for the Cardinals resulted in their first goal of the game.
Ben Conway (Wigan, Eng./Hawkley Hall) received a headed flick from
Dylan Kelly (Tucson, AZ/Salpointe Catholic HS) and fired a shot from 15 yards out to beat the goalie to open the score in the 34th minute. It was Conway's third goal of the season.
The Cardinals took the lead at half and came back much stronger in the second. Moore scored twice in the first 15 minutes of the half to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. His first goal came in the 47th minute when
Joe Brown (Nothingham, Eng./The Becket School) found Kelly with a long ball into the box, Kelly flicked it perfectly to Moore who headed it in for his first career goal as a Cardinal. His second came just 14 minutes later when
Noah Keats (Exeter, Eng./The King's School) gave Moore a beautiful through pass to beat the Roadrunner defenders. Moore then finished to the inside post.
The Roadrunners seemed to be out of it after the third goal, but they kept battling and found a way to make it interesting. Julian Zamora scored two goals that were almost identical in the 69th and 74th minutes. In both, he scored off a volley that followed a cross from Simon Doherty. He now has three goals on the season.
Kelly assisted two of the goals in the win, giving him five on the year to lead the team and the WAC. Keats' assist was his third of the year and now has a team-best 17 points, which also leads the entire conference.
The Cardinals are right back in conference action as they host San Jose State on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Benson Stadium.
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