MARION, Ind. -- Top-seed Indiana Wesleyan University men’s soccer dispatched No. 8-seed Goshen (Ind.) 2-0 on Saturday night at Wildcat Field in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals. IWU got goals from Caleb Denlinger (JR/Miamisburg, Ohio) and Eddie Hernandez (FR/Colorado Springs, Colo.) who both came off the IWU bench.

Matchup Details

• Score:  Indiana Wesleyan 2   |   Goshen 0
• Records:  Indiana Wesleyan 13-5-0   |   Goshen 5-13-0
• NAIA DII Top- 25 Rank:  Indiana Wesleyan - Receiving votes   |   Goshen - Not ranked
• Location:  Wildcat Field   |   Indiana Wesleyan University   |   Marion, Indiana
• Brief:  Top-seed Indiana Wesleyan University men’s soccer dispatched No. 8-seed Goshen (Ind.) 2-0 on Saturday night at Wildcat Field in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals. IWU got goals from Caleb Denlinger and Eddie Hernandez who both came off the IWU bench.

What Went Down

• Weather was a factor Saturday night with 50-degree temperatures at kickoff and 15-20 MPH winds. Light rain fell periodically in the early portions of the match and it became a bit heavier as the match concluded which caused some slippery conditions.
• Caleb Denlinger scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 30th minute. His shot from the right of the next came at an extreme angle to surprise Goshen for the 1-0 lead.
• The Wildcats controlled possession throughout most of the opening half. The Wildcats outshot the Maple Leafs 11-2 in the opening 45 minutes.
• Josh Goepper (SR/Shelby Township, Mich.) made a difficult save in the 56th minute to preserve the lead. A hard shot from close range forced Goepper to punch it away.
• Eddie Hernandez gave Indiana Wesleyan a cushion in the 68th minute for a 2-0 lead. His shot from way outside the 18-yard box also surprised Goshen as the hard kicked shot never left the ground.
• Indiana Wesleyan outshot Goshen 17-6 for the match with a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal.
• Goepper and the defense earned their 11th shutout of the season. That ranks 11th in the NAIA.

Coaches Corner

• “Goshen came to play. They were prepared and gave us a fight. Josh Goepper was really, really good in goal and had a couple of huge saves. In the second half they came in a wave there and we withstood it. We got our goal from Eddie Hernandez off the bench and I think that was a big momentum shift. Both goals came from off the bench today.”  
  -- IWU head coach Luke Sanford

Extra! Extra!

• Indiana Wesleyan and Goshen met last year in the Crossroads League Tournament championship match. IWU won that contest 3-0 to advance to the NAIA National Championship.

Next Time Out

• Indiana Wesleyan hosts Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) in the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals next Saturday night at Wildcat Field. No. 5-seed MVNU stunned No. 4-seed Bethel in their quarterfinal match. MVNU scored with 13 seconds left to tie the game 1-1 and send the match into overtime. The game went to a shootout and MVNU advances with a 5-4 PK victory.