Trojans Fall in Tight Battle with No. 10 Bethel

UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor men' soccer team (4-11-1, 1-6-1 CL) held its own in a 1-0 defeat to No. 10 Bethel (12-2-3, 6-0-2) in its final home match of the 2023 season Wednesday night.

While the Pilots dominated the ball and scoring chances in the early going, Taylor's defense was able to knock away several crosses to keep BU out of the middle of the field. Those efforts by TU's backline, which often included Collin Maris and Justin Devlin, helped limit the Pilots to just one shot on goal in the first half, a number which the Trojans matched.

That lone shot on goal for Bethel came in the 37th minute on a nearly indefensible header on the back side of TU's defense and gave the Pilots the only score in the game.

The Trojans responded in the second half with nine shots of their own, but BU's strong defensive play kept Taylor from getting the high-quality opportunities it needed to notch the equalizer.

Sam Spiegel made a game-high two saves in the second half, as TU's back line again prevented the Pilots from getting good looks on goal. The three shots on goal fired by BU ties its season-low mark in a match.

Despite the loss, Taylor still controls its own destiny, as head coach Gary Ross's team can clinch its spot into the Crossroads League Tournament with a win on Saturday at Goshen (1-14-2, 0-7-1 CL) at 7 p.m.