PHILADELPHIA – The HFU men's soccer team's unbeaten streak reached six for the first time since 2011 as the Tigers held off Alliance, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon at Tiger Field.
Holy Family was in control up 2-0 with 16 minutes remaining until the visitors put the pressure on with a 75th minute strike.
Dakota Taylor's (Willow Grove, Pa./Archbishop Wood) insurance score with 4:49 to play would prove necessary when Alliance responded 27 seconds later.
The visitors could not get an attempt on in the final 4:22 though, securing Holy Family's fifth win in six matches.
Taylor,
Marcelo Ibarra (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) and
Sean Touey (Rockledge, Pa./Abington) all had a goal and assist on the day, with Ibarra opening the scoring 11:08 in when Taylor played him in on-one-one with the keeper.
Ibarra then set up Touey in the 34th minute with a cross from left end-line into the six-yard box.
Touey provided what turned out the be the game-winning assist when Taylor struck home from outside the box to make the score 3-1.
Inside the Box Score
- Taylor's team-high five assists are as many as he had in his first three seasons, while his three goals trail only Touey and Gavin Rowan's (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) four for the team-laed
- Ibarra's assist was the first of his collegiate career
- Alliance had the slight 16-14 edge in attempts, with HFU holding a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal
- The Tigers outshout Alliance 10-5 in the first half, with the visitors holding an 11-4 edge in the second
- Taylor tied for a match-high with four attempts
- Luke Shank (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) made two saves to earn the win
How it Happened
First Half
- Rowan and Michael Forde (Cambridge, United Kingdom/(Harcum College)) had attempts just over 30 seconds apart in the seventh and eighth minutes
- After scoring on its first two attempts on net, Joseph Amabile (Beachwood, N.J./Toms River South) was denied from long range just over a minute after HFU went up 2-0
- Kevin Duffy (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) missed high on the ensuing corner
- Alliance's only shot on net came with just under six minutes remaining in the half
Second Half
- Alliance had the first attempt on net after the break in the 66th minute
- Rowan looked to add insurance 28 seconds after the visitors made the score 3-2 but was denied
Up Next
Holy Family plays the first of four straight road matches on Tuesday, traveling to Goldey-Beacom for a 3:30 p.m. start.