Wieringa’s Heroics Highlight Foresters’ Grit in 1-1 Draw

HUNTINGTON, Ind. - If shots and possession told the story, the HU men's soccer team would have had little trouble dispatching Saint Xavier on Saturday night at King Stadium. Instead, the Foresters were forced to claw back in dramatic fashion, netting a goal with just ten seconds left to earn a 1-1 draw under the lights.

The hosts dictated play throughout, outshooting the Cougars 24-5 and spending the majority of the contest in their attacking third. But the visitors nearly stole the win, striking in transition at the 85:08 mark when Saul Lagunas finished a feed from Yael Diaz for what looked like the game-winner.

The Foresters pressed for an equalizer and thought they had it just a minute later, only to see a free-kick finish waved off for offsides. Even then, head coach Nick Potter could be heard urging his team to "BELIEVE," and his side responded.

With the clock winding down, HU earned a late corner and finally broke through. Kovan Drenth's header found freshman Maxwell Wieringa inside the six, who buried his first collegiate goal at 89:53 to send the home crowd into a frenzy and preserve the draw.

The 1-1 result marks Huntington's third tie of the season as they move to 2-3-3 overall. The Foresters now turn their attention to Crossroads League play, opening their conference slate Wednesday on the road against Marian at 7:00 p.m.

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 181 NAIA All-America honors and 631 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest.