Men’s soccer back on track
Soccer shuts out HIU for second straight win.
Junior midfielder Sava Pantic skims past the Hope International defense on October 23. After a lull in their season, men’s soccer is back on track, winning two games in a row. | Kalli Thommen/THE CHIMES
October 23, 2013
On an absolutely gorgeous October night, Biola senior Daniel Chew and sophomore Joey O’Keefe each tallied a brace, leading men’s soccer to a 4-0 win over Hope International University. With the season winding down, the Eagles are looking very confident and excited for what lies in the future.
In the first half, the play between both teams seemed pretty equal until O’Keefe scored the first goal of the night in the 22nd minute for his fourth on the year.
Biola went into halftime with a 1-0 lead before coming out firing on all cylinders in the second half. Daniel Chew scored back-to-back goals in the 50th and 52nd minutes. These were Chew's 12th and 13th goals of the year.
Despite the commanding lead, the night was not over, as O'Keefe made a spectacular play, maneuvering the ball between the defenders’ legs and rocketing a shot off the cross bar into the goal.
"It was a great pass from Carlos [Ballesteros] on my first goal,” O’Keefe said. “After getting that first goal, I just kept pushing and was lucky enough to get the second.”
When the whistle sounded, the Eagles emerged victorious at home for their second straight victory.
BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE IN TOP FORM
While the offense was top-notch throughout the night, the Eagle defense and their goalie JT Addington were also on top of their game. Addington had three saves on the night and earned his seventh shutout of the season.
“We had a great day of practice yesterday, and I feel we came into the game very well prepared,” Chew said.
Biola is now 10-3-1 on the season. The next three games can help decide Biola's fate in getting into the playoffs and where they could end up seeding. After Tuesday night's thrashing, the Eagles look confident and very focused on winning.
Biola's next opponent is their GSAC rival, the Concordia Eagles. Biola lost to them earlier this year but have been anticipating their second showdown with Concordia.
"This is the game we have been training for since preseason," Chew said.
Saturday’s game in Irvine will determine whether Biola is at a level to make a deep, post-season run.
