Boerne, Tx- On Saturday March 23rd at 7pm.  Coastal Bend Men's soccer team took on Boerne FC Thunder of the National Premier Soccer League (Pro Division).  Cougars earned a 4-0 victory in the match.  

 

The Cougars took control early in the match, with high pressing and a solid back line of defensive shape, putting the Thunder on their back foot.  Utilizing their unorganized efforts the goal scoring opened up with a through ball from sophomore Oliver Nugent to the striker Enzo Guercio, who slotted the ball past the Thunder keeper to open the scoring in the 8th minute of the match.  

 

When play resumed it was still the Cougars who were dominating, utilizing a controlling midfield. The Cougars opened up on a cross from Nugent, Jan Gruhn met the cross in the air and flicked it into the danger area where Freshman Sam Robinson rifled it into the back of the net to give the Cougars a 2-0 advantage in the 17th minute.  

 

Play continued for another 15 minutes as the substitutes began entering the match. The Thunder had realized the direct style of play from the Cougars and so tactics were changed with the substitutes entering the match from direct inside play to outside runs, giving the Cougars the chance to have a cross flicked on by Freshman Marco Aurelio into the path of Freshman striker Emile Rudd who accurately placed the ball in the bottom corner of the goal to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead going into half time.  

 

The second half was roller coaster as both sides had chances and Freshman keeper Josh Emslie came up with an amazing 1 on 1 save to ensure his clean sheet stayed intact.  Emslie had three phenomenal saves by the end of the match, with the amazing efforts of the defensive line to maintain the shutout. The Cougars continued to change their attack from inside to outside and back again to keep the Thunder from finding their rhythm and gaining any type of dominance in the match.  

 

It was out of pure frustration, when in the 90th minute a Cougar break away saw the opposing keeper take down freshman striker Marco Aurelio in the box to prevent the impending goal, earning the Cougars a penalty.  Freshman Til Hoppe took the penalty, sending the keeper in the opposite direction to slot home the final goal for Coastal Bend College and earning a well deserved 4-0 victory.