Sophomore forward Zach Barton (St. Louis, Missouri) and junior defender Colten Walsh (St. Louis, Missouri) scored goals in the 73rd and 84th minutes of the game as University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer rallied from a one-goal second-half deficit to defeat visiting Truman State University, 3-2, in a Great Lakes Valley Conference match at Strassweg Field.
The win gives USI Head Coach Mat Santoro his 100th career victory, making him the first soccer coach, men or women, to reach the 100-win plateau in school history.
USI (3-2-0, 3-2-0 GLVC) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as senior forward Graham Miller (Owensboro, Kentucky) found the back of the net in the 20th minute. Sophomore midfielder Brian Winkler (Philpot, Kentucky) and junior midfielder Ryan Nevins (St. Peters, Missouri) each picked up assists on the goal.
Truman State (1-4-1, 1-4-1 GLVC) answered with a tally 10 minutes later to tie the score at 1-1, while its goal in the 72nd minute put USI in a brief 2-1 hole.
Barton, however, answered with a break-a-way goal just over a minute later following a long pass from sophomore forward/midfielder Dan Hartman (Seymour, Indiana). The goal was Barton’s third of the weekend and team-best fifth of the year.
Walsh gave the Eagles the 3-2 advantage with a header in the 84th minute following a nice crossing pass from Winkler, who ended the day with a pair of assists.
Between the posts, senior goalkeeper Justin Faas (Carmel, Indiana) earned his third straight win after picking up a pair of saves in 90 minutes of work.
USI returns to action Friday at 7:30 p.m. when it takes visits William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.
