Second half tallies help Raiders to 2-2 draw in Horizon opener

Saturday, September 10

Dayton, OH

5 PM

Wright State University

0-3-2, 0-0-1

IUPUI

1-1-3, 0-0-1

IUPUI

Wright St.

Photo by: Joseph Craven

Second half tallies help Raiders to 2-2 draw in Horizon opener

9/10/2022 8:05:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

DAYTON – A flurry of second half goals resulted in a 2-2 draw for the Wright State men's soccer team as it opened Horizon League play on Saturday afternoon at home against IUPUI.

The Raiders (0-3-2, 0-0-1 HL), who opened the season with four straight on the road before returning to Alumni Field, used a pair of second half goals to earn the draw after IUPUI (1-1-3, 0-0-1 HL) netted two scores in the second half themselves.

A scoreless, evenly played first half saw both sides tally six shots before all the scoring action got underway in the second 45 minutes, beginning with an IUPUI score in the 52nd minute by Josemir Gomez off a cross into the middle of the box from the far side, as Gavin O'Shea and Logan Finnegan recorded assists. The visitors added to the advantage five minutes later when Lukas Hackaa scored off a header at the 56:07 mark off the feed from Tyler Gainer.

The Raiders responded in the 58th minute when Conner Osterholt found the back of the net through a scrum of traffic out front as Wright State turned up the offensive intensity. The match turned in the 70th minute as the Raider attack mounted and IUPUI's Brady Horn was given a red card for taking down a Raider in the box, setting up Kouadio for his second PK goal of the season to tie the score.

Playing a man up for the final 20 minutes, the Raiders had a bevy of chances down the stretch, including Nico Likulia's shot off the top crossbar in the 85th minute, followed up by Cole Werthmuller's rebound shot attempt deflecting around and out of the box. Wright State had one final push in the closing moments, finding the back of the net in the 89th before the score was waved off as an offensive foul was called as players from both sides jostled for position.

Physical throughout, a combined 19 fouls were called, including 13 on Wright State, and six yellow cards were issued along with the red card, with the Raiders recipients of five of the yellows.

Kouadio had a match-high four shot attempts, including three on goal, while Likulia, Osterholt and Werthmuller each had three attempts as well. Hackaa and Gomez combined four eight of IUPUI's 12 shots, as Raider keeper Sebastian Jimenez recorded four saves. Jaguar keeper Lucas Morefield turned away six shots of his own on the other end.

Wright State is back in action on Tuesday as the Raiders step back out of conference play to welcome Duquesne to Alumni Field for a 5 p.m. kickoff. The Raiders then travel to Green Bay next Saturday to resume Horizon League play before welcoming Northern Kentucky on September 24.