HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A late goal gave Union men’s soccer the edge it needed to find the team’s first conference win of the season Sunday night at Alabama-Huntsville.
Union improves to 6-4-1 (1-3-1 GSC), while UAH falls to 1-6-3 (0-5-1), bringing up the rear in the conference table.
Ashanie Kennedy nearly opened the scoring for the Bulldogs in the 28th minute. Facing an open goal from a tough angle on a breakaway, the sophomore forward struck the left post.
Just over ten minutes later, Union did take an advantage on a Kenny Nitzsche penalty kick. Following a Union corner, Jamie Chamberlain was taken down from behind while going to play the ball, and the referee signaled to the spot. Nitzsche, who has now taken four of five Union’s penalty tries, sent the ball right and the keeper left, making the score 1-0. The goal was Nitzsche’s fourth of the season; the German now co-leads the team was 13 points.
Union took this scoreline into intermission, having broken a scoreless streak of over 350 minutes in GSC play.
The Chargers equalized almost immediately in the second half, however, on a splendid free kick by UAH sophomore Oli Orzechowski. From 20 yards out, Orzechowski wrapped the ball around a four-strong Union wall and into the top right corner, just over the lunging keeper Jackson Talley.
Talley, who entered the game on Friday night after Tommy Scahill was sent off, guarded the goal for 90 minutes on Sunday. The freshman made six saves in his first collegiate start.
In minute 86, as the game approached a draw, Union was awarded a free kick in a very similar location to that of UAH’s equalizer. Noel Pataki stepped up and scored the game-winner directly – itself in a fashion and placement similar to Orzechowski’s – to give his team the 2-1 lead, which would prove final.
In a game that was rather statistically equal, UAH took 18 shots to Union’s 15; eight and seven were on target, respectively. UAH’s shot total was a season-high, while 10 corner kicks also set a new 2024 mark for the team.
Cillian Heaney managed three shots on goal in 82 minutes played, while Marc Badibanga and Kennedy also took accurate attempts.
Union looks ahead to a home weekend hosting Spring Hill on Friday (7:30 p.m.) and West Florida on Sunday (3:30 p.m.). Admission to Smith Memorial Soccer Complex is complimentary as a courtesy of FirstBank.
