Bethany Falls to Franciscan

BETHANY – The Bethany Bison welcomed the Franciscan Barons to Hoag Field for the first game of a campus-wide action packed homecoming week slate. The Bison nearly matched the Barons in shots, but were unable to match in goals as Franciscan won the game 2-0. 

The Bison stole the kickoff and was able to get an early shot on goal. It was a promising start despite the fact that the ball was saved. 

Matteo Pintus had a few vertical saves throughout the game. He finished with eight total. The keeper also picked off a few crossers that would have been dangerous otherwise. Franciscan finished with 17 attacks, a number that would have certainly been over 20 if Pintus allowed those balls to remain on grass. 

Many of the shots throughout the rest of the game were either blocked by the Barons or didn't force much movement in the net. This allowed Franciscan to consistently recover after Bethany scoring attempts, preventing any chain offense.

The one situation where the Bison had a massive advantage to score ended up not even resulting in a shot. 

The Bison allowed a goal in the first half, but was looking to tie it fairly early in the second half. Derrick Hernandez received a pass where he continued to drive the ball inside of the box. Hernandez was within five feet of the goal when he lost his handle on the ball, slipping to the ground. The ball slowly inched towards the Franciscan goalie's feet, where it nearly came to a complete stop. The ball was picked up, punted, and play resumed.

The Barons extended their lead shortly after, putting the game out of reach for the Bison.

Bethany (0-10-1) will travel to undefeated Geneva College (9-0-2) this Saturday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.