GREEN BAY, Wis.
(GreenBayPhoenix.com) - After four intense days of preparation, a pre-game speech from Green Bay
Packers cornerback Charles Woodson, and legendary Phoenix alumni on hand, the Green
Bay (3-3-1, 0-1-0) men's soccer team didn't have enough to knock off #17 Butler
(6-0-0, 1-0-0) Friday night.
Butler controlled the majority of the first half firing six
shots compared to Green Bay's one. At the 7:52 mark, the Bulldogs' Conner Burt
found Adekun Oluyedun in the corner of the box for the lone first half goal and
the 1-0 lead.
Green Bay wasn't able to fire a shot until the 38th
minute when David Bernhardsson
(Tjorn, Sweden) got a look at the net but his shot was too high.
"We were flat the whole first half of the game and we gave up
the early goal, which we've stressed all season," said head coach Tom Poitras. "I'm
not sure why our team was flat playing a tough, ranked team on homecoming."
The Bulldogs struck again in the 70th minute when Oluyedun
took a shot in the box but was denied by keeper Ryan Wehking (St. Louis, Mo.). Following the quick save by Wehking,
Butler's Matt Hedges found the back of the net to boost the Bulldogs' lead 2-0.
Less than three minutes later, Green Bay answered when Tony Walls (Wauwatosa, Wis.) found JC Banks (Milwaukee, Wis.) with a
header pass, cutting Butler's lead in half and giving the Phoenix some
momentum.
"Tony and JC have played together for a long time and they
have a good understanding and sense of where the other guy is going to be,"
said Poitras.
The Bulldogs outshot Green Bay 14-2 and 12-3 on corner kicks
while Wehking pulled down five saves for the Phoenix.
BACK IN THE BACKFIELD: After having an appendectomy just
hours before Green Bay's season opener against DePaul, Sept. 1, sophomore
defender Andrew Stone (Green Bay,
Wis.) was back in the lineup for the Phoenix, giving it a much-needed spark.
"Andy gave us a good presence even though he was a little
rusty; his athleticism is a big boost for us," Poitras said.
Green Bay will wrap up its four game home-stand Sunday as it
hosts Bradley University in a non-conference game kicking off at 1:00 p.m. at
Aldo Santaga Stadium.
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