NCAA D2 Newman U. Hands Bears First Loss
Monday night the Bears took on their toughest opponent of the season thus far in Newman University (Wichita, KS). Even though the Bears entered the game undefeated on the season (6-0), the Jets proved to be an NCAA Division II team that is in the top tier of the Heartland Conference.
Early in the match, play was back in forth with many skilled players on both sides of the ball controlling possession. As the game progressed, the Jets size and speed advantage revealed itself. Nearly fifteen minutes in, the Jets pushed their way through the Bears back line to go up 1-0. Then they tacked in two more goals; one off of a debatable no call on an offsides and the other on a failed clear by the Bears that resulted in a power shot from just outside the eighteen. After the Jets built their lead to 3-0, the Bears calmed down and finished out the half with a few scoring opportunities of their own.
In the second half, the game progressively became more and more physical as the center ref failed to keep control of the game. The lone goal of the second half came off of a corner kick that was headed in. The final score was 4-0 in favor of Newman University.
The loss dropped the Bears to 6-1 overall on the season but showed that the Bears are capable of competing against the best. They will host Midwest Christian College Conference foe Central Christian College of the Bible (Moberly, MO) on Friday evening, September 26th at 6:00 PM CST. Then on Saturday they will take on NAIA Division II Southwestern College (Winfield, KS) in Haviland at 7:00 PM.