FULTON, Mo. – The Woods (3-6-3, 1-5-3 Heart) came out swinging and stood toe-to-toe with one of the Heart's top teams Saturday afternoon, but a late surge from (#7) William Penn University (8-1-3, 6-0-2 Heart) handed the Owls the 3–2 loss.
William Woods struck first in the 23rd minute when Moritz Schafer found the back of the net. The freshman from Germany pounced on a loose ball inside the box and tucked it past the keeper to give the Owls the early lead.
William Penn leveled the match just after halftime. Woods quickly responded with Charlie Williams and Marlon Swaby connecting to grow the Owls lead. In the 57th minute, Swaby sent a rocketing cross to Williams on the far side of the field. Williams, 27 yards from the posts, lifted an arching shot over the Statesmen keeper to find the back of the net.
The Statesmen found their equalizer in the 68th minute when Ruiz Haro nestled his shot to the back of the net off an interior pass from Caleb Wright. The number six team in the country found their winner in the 74th minute when a penalty was called on the Owls inside the box. Matias Meijide, taking the penalty kick, belted his shot over Woods' keeper.
Senior goalkeeper Matthew Dworak was once again sharp in net, tallying eight saves—including six in the second half—to keep the Owls within striking distance.
Offensively, The Woods managed seven shots with three on frame, capitalizing on both of their early scoring chances. Defensively, they absorbed heavy second-half pressure from the Statesmen, who recorded 14 total shots and 11 on goal.
Up next, The Woods will look to rebound against former AMC foe Harris-Stowe State University Tuesday night at the NCAC. Kickoff at 7 p.m. under the lights.
