Spurgeon College Knights men's soccer delivered a composed performance on Thursday afternoon, breaking through in the second half to claim a 2–0 win over Manhattan Christian at Central Bank Sporting. The victory evens the Knights' overall record at 3-3-1 and improves them to 2-0 in regional play.
Scoreless First Half
Despite controlling possession and firing 12 first-half shots, the Knights were held scoreless before the break by Manhattan goalkeeper Jaime Fernandez, who racked up seven saves. Spurgeon's defense, anchored by keeper Derrick Rodriguez, stayed sharp to deny the Thunder, holding them to just two shots in the opening frame
Breakthrough After the Half
The Knights' persistence paid off in the second period. After a series of close calls—including a shot off the crossbar and another off the post—Spurgeon finally broke through in the 70th minute. Jack Downey netted his first career goal, finishing off a well-placed assist from Caleb Hawkins to put the Knights ahead 1–0.
Just 13 minutes later, Spurgeon doubled their lead. David Beltran slotted home a strike in the 83rd minute, assisted by Downey, sealing the match with a 2–0 advantage.
Knights' Leaders
Spurgeon's attack was relentless, tallying 28 total shots and 15 on target.
