Mendoza strikes as Heidelberg tops Capital

October 29, 2014

TIFFIN—Ryan Homoki and Alexis Mendoza scored 19 seconds apart in the second half to propel the Heidelberg University men's soccer team to a 3-1 win over Capital on Tuesday night. With the win Heidelberg has secured a spot in next week's Ohio Athletic Conference tournament.

First Half

The Student Princes maintained control of the ball for most of the half. Mendoza was the first to strike within the first minute of play, a ball shot wide left. Shortly after that, the Student Princes had two narrowly missed shots back-to-back. On a counterattack off of a Capital corner kick, Chris Koczak and Homoki took on Capital's defense in a three-on-one break away where goalkeeper Justin Niswonger made the save, diving to his left.

The Student Princes finally broke through and found the back of the net in the 38th minute. Kyle Simpson struck the ball into the box where Hamid Shariff trapped the ball and passed to Mendoza, who footed the ball past Niswonger for his first goal of the afternoon.

Second Half

Off of some quick one-touch passing out of a corner kick, Capital's Calvin Saunders beat Heidelberg's goalkeeper Matthew Stevens to knot the score at one in the 59th minute.

Ten minutes later, Shariff crossed the ball in from the left to Mendoza, who found Homoki at the back post for the eventual game-winner in the 67th minute.

Just 19 seconds later, Mendoza would put the game away with a strike to the upper 90 of the net for his second goal of the night, giving the Student Princes a commanding 3-1 advantage. The goal, Mendoza's team-high seventh of the season, was played in from nearly 35 yards out.

Capital's last real threat to score came from a header by Josh Spaw in the 71st minute. Matthew Stevens made a sliding save on his line and the Student Princes finished off the match with a big victory.

Notable Quotes

Head coach Brian Haley, in his 26th and final season, on his team's play: "The overall team performance was good. We asked the guys to be more positive in the final third of the field and they definitely did that."

Haley about the goals: "We created a lot of chances and got the goals we deserved. Alexis has a cool head in front of the goal, and he showed that tonight."

Scoreboard Watching

The Berg win, coupled with an Ohio Northern loss has vaulted HU into sole possession of second place. With a win or a tie in the regular season finale, Heidelberg secures the #2 seed and a first-round bye.

Up Next

The Student Princes take on Wilmington this Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Hidden Valley Soccer Complex. Kickoff for Senior Day is scheduled for 2 p.m.

The match will be Haley's final regular season game as head coach at Heidelberg. After the match, a reception for Coach Haley will be held on campus at The University Commons. Friends of the program are welcome to attend. Please RSVP to Eli Zamora at ezamora@heidelberg.edu.