Tigers grind out a point at #17 Bethel

There are nights on the pitch where a single player can make the difference in the result. There are also nights where it takes every player in uniform to get a result. Thursday's match at 17th-ranked Bethel very much proved the latter for Georgetown. Despite being outshot 21-6 and not garnering a single corner kick all night, the Tigers were able to come away with a 1-1 draw and pick up a valuable point in the Mid-South Conference standings.

Bethel came out on the offensive from the opening whistle. Lukas Steiner made 2 key saves just 22 seconds apart in the 10th minute to deny early chances for the Wildcats. Pedro Canal had a go in the 14th minute but was turned away by Bethel keeper, Diego Camargo. The team aspect came into play in the 22nd minute when Bethel's Horace Avila had a go on goal that was headed for the net, but the Tigers' Austin Pickerell came onto the back line to clear the ball away and keep Bethel off the board. Luca Perrin would have to do the same for Georgetown in the 35th minute off a header by Bethel. Perrin picked up a perfect read to clear the ball away from goal. Lukas Steiner made another save in the same sequence as Bethel's frustration began to mount but not deter the attacks. The Wildcats had a final corner set piece in the 43rd minute, but Georgetown cleared it away with no threat. The Tigers took a deep, collective exhale when the halftime whistle came with the match scoreless.

Bethel went right back on offense to start the 2nd half. A header just 55 seconds into the half sailed just over the crossbar. Georgetown nearly had an early strike of its own as Xavier Hale found space in the box, but his shot also hit the bar and was cleared away. In the 53rd minute, Bethel picked up another corner and was able to capitalize as Alvin Oguta beat the Tiger traffic inside for a goal. Georgetown showed its resolve on the ensuing kickoff as the Tigers marched right down the field and Pedro Canal beat the Bethel keeper just 16 seconds later to immediately level the match at 1.

Each team had chances over the next 30 minutes but were turned away each time. The final scare for the Tigers came in the 86th minute as Bethel's Stanley Issac had a go at goal. Once again, the Tiger backline was there as Nathan Sidwell made the team's 3rd defensive save of the night to deny Issac the winner and allow Georgetown to escape with a point.

The final stats show a dominant performance from Bethel, but the result is what the Tigers wanted. Bethel outshot Georgetown, 21-6, in total, including 10-2 in shots on goal. The Wildcats also finished with a 9-0 advantage in corners. Lukas Steiner finished the night with 6 saves.

Georgetown returns home on Friday, October 18th against Lindsey Wilson. Kickoff from Toyota Stadium will be just after 8:00pm.