MONTREAT, N.C. — The University of Pikeville men's soccer team earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Montreat on Wednesday evening at Pulliam Stadium, with Yali Cohen providing the game-winning goal and Alejandro Iglesias delivering a standout performance in net.
After a scoreless first half, Cohen broke through in the 56th minute, finding the back of the net at the 55:20 mark to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. The goal was Cohen's second of the season and proved to be the difference in the contest.
Both teams created opportunities in the opening half, but neither could find the breakthrough. Iglesias made an important save on Emmanuel Ntimeh in the 12th minute as Montreat looked to establish an early advantage. UPIKE also threatened, with Jakub Rus and Harry Galton testing Cavaliers goalkeeper Frankie Zavala in the opening 10 minutes.
The Bears continued to generate chances late in the first half, earning several corner kicks and forcing Zavala into another save on Alex Ward's attempt in the 43rd minute. The teams entered halftime deadlocked at 0-0.
Montreat increased the pressure after the break, but Iglesias repeatedly came up with key stops to preserve UPIKE's advantage. Following Cohen's goal, the Cavaliers tested the Bears' goalkeeper with multiple attempts, including shots from Jared McCall, Ethan Grasso and Sako Mo. Iglesias turned aside each effort to keep Montreat off the scoreboard.
UPIKE faced another challenge in the 71st minute when Mahmoud Shech-Ichya received a red card, forcing the Bears to finish the match shorthanded. Montreat continued pushing forward in search of an equalizer, but Iglesias remained composed, recording additional saves on attempts from Reuben Keeys, Alejandro Hernandez and other Cavaliers attackers.
Montreat received a red card of its own in the final minute when Keeys was sent off at 89:46. The Bears held firm through the closing moments to secure the shutout and their sixth victory of the season.
Iglesias finished with eight saves as UPIKE overcame a 22-11 disadvantage in shots and a 10-6 deficit in corner kicks. The Bears recorded 11 shots, with seven on target, while Cohen led the way with the decisive goal.
The victory improves UPIKE to 6-7-2 overall and 4-5-1 in Appalachian Athletic Conference play.
The Bears will close out the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 31, traveling to Columbia, S.C., to face Columbia International University. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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