McKENZIE, Tenn. – For the second time in as many years, RedHawk forward Juan Madrigal proved to be the difference in a tightly-contest road contest as the junior scored a go-ahead goal with just over 13 minutes to play in a 2-1 win over No. 19 Bethel (Tenn.) University Wednesday afternoon.
After falling behind 1-0 early in the second half, the RedHawks (5-1, 2-0 SSAC) leveled the score on a goal from forward Michael Fulton in the match's 67th minute.
And, for the next few minutes, it appeared as if extra time would be needed to break the tie between the two rivals.
Just over 10 minutes later, however, Madrigal took a pass from Jonathan Remond and blasted it into the back of the net to give the RedHawks a one-goal lead they would not relinquish.
The script was a familiar one for Madrigal, who scored a pair of goals in a 3-0 RedHawk victory when the RedHawks shocked the Wildcats in McKenzie a year ago.
"It was a great effort from the lads this afternoon," RedHawks head coach Gerry Cleary said. "Michael did a great job of pulling us level and Juan had a cracking goal to put us ahead. Jonathan also had great service to help put our lads in position to make the plays. Any time you can go on the road and win a game in this conference, it's a big win."
Aside from Madrigal's sublime finish, the teams played to a virtual stalemate, with both teams tied at four shots apiece through the first half.
In the second period, the RedHawks scratched two more shots than the Wildcats (5-2, 0-2) to finish with a narrow 12-10 edge in the shot department. The RedHawks did hold a lopsided 7-1 edge in the corner kick department, however.
Remond, who assisted on both RedHawk goals, notched his third and fourth helpers of the year. The freshman also recorded his third straight game with an assist.
RedHawk goalkeeper Stephen Lunney picked up the win in net for the RedHawks, making four saves on five shots on goal. The junior's lone blemish on the afternoon came when Wildcat forward Vinicius Kerchner slipped past a RedHawk defender and knuckled a shot into the bottom left corner.
The goal marked the end of an impressive run for Lunney, who had now allowed a goal in nearly 452 minutes, a streak dating back to the club's season opener at Bryan (Tenn.) College on Sept. 3.
"I thought the lads played pretty sharp defensively," Cleary said. "We lost our focus for just a second and (Bethel) made us pay. They are a quality offensive club, so for our lads to play like they did was impressive. I was proud of their effort."
With the win, the RedHawks picked up their fifth straight win after starting the season with a narrow 1-0 loss. The win also marked the first win of the season for the RedHawks against a ranked opponent and the club's highest-ranked win since knocking off the then-No. 11 Wildcats in McKenzie a year ago.
The RedHawks return to action Saturday afternoon against another ranked opponent in No. 17 Auburn-Montgomery. Saturday's match also marks the first-ever home SSAC conference match in school history for the RedHawks.
Kickoff in Saturday's match is set for 3 p.m. at the East Campus Soccer Complex in Pulaski.
