MEN’S SOCCER

In a league where every result matters, the Huntington men’s soccer team earned a critical point on the road by drawing even with Indiana Wesleyan, 1-1, Wednesday night under the lights on the Wildcats’ pitch.

Bethel is currently sitting atop the conference with a 5-0 record but the fight for the next spot is up for grabs as six teams are within half a game of each other. With four games to go, Marian, Spring Arbor and Grace all boast a 3-2 CL record while HU, IWU and Taylor claim a 2-2-1 league record.

The Foresters got up early on their hosts when Eric Ocock put one in the back of the net on a breakaway nine minutes in on a nifty pass from Pablo Garcia. The 1-0 advantage held until the 64th minute. The rest of regulation came and went without any more shots on goal to send the game to OT where neither team could put the finishing touches on the evening to make for the final 1-1 stalemate.

Wesleyan enjoyed a 14-8 shot advantage as well as an 8-1 favor in corner kicks.

“This was some of our finest soccer of the season,” said Coach Russ Lawson. “I’m proud of the boys for their grit and willingness to deal with being a man down for close to 45 minutes. This was definitely a well-earned point on the road for us.”

Tonight’s tie snaps a three-game win streak HU held over the Wildcats. Lawson and crew are currently 7-5-2 overall, 2-1-2 in CL play. Huntington returns to King Stadium on Saturday to host Marian at 2:00 p.m.