MEN’S SOCCER

It wasn’t how the Huntington men’s soccer team wanted to wrap up the non-conference portion of their schedule Wednesday afternoon at Spartan Stadium as the guests dropped a 3-2 decision to Manchester (3-4-1).

The Spartans’ final go ahead goal came with less than 20 minutes remaining and gave the hosts their first win over Huntington since 2007. The Foresters’ record sandwiched between MU’s two wins is 8-0-4.

While HU never led, they stayed in the hunt the entire match. Down 1-0, Pablo Garcia got his team on the board in the 35th minute when he bent one over the keeper from 30 yards out. The rocket was Garcia’s third goal of the season, the sixth of his two-year tenure in green and white.

The 1-1 stalemate carried into the second half. Nine minutes after the Manchester scored their second goal, Huntington countered at the 62:29 mark to draw things even once again. A corner kick set the stage for Nathan Lemmon’s first collegiate goal. After settling a clear by MU at the top of the box, the sophomore midfielder brushed off some pressure and blasted a shot that drilled the crossbar and landed on the goal line for the 2-2 deadlock.

Unfortunately, the Spartans had the last say with 17 minutes left to send HU home with their fourth loss of the year. Manchester finished with 19 shots, 12 on frame, to Huntington’s ten of which seven were on target.

The Foresters (5-4) kick off league play with a road trip to Spring Arbor on Saturday for a 7:00 p.m. matchup with the Cougars.