Tiger soccer gets first win in program history

LIVINGSTON – Sophomore forward Evan Beutler made history Friday at Tiger Stadium. With six minutes gone by, the Enterprise, Ala., native knocked in a goal off the assist from Clay Green to jump start the University of West Alabama men’s soccer team in a 7-0 win against Oakwood College.

Playing in a match that was originally scheduled for Thursday evening but was postponed due to tropical storm Isaac, head coach Matthew Thorne’s squad looked sharp. As a team, the Tigers had 13 shots on goal compared to just four from the visitors, while UWA held Oakwood without a shot attempt for the first 20 minutes of the contest.

“I am absolutely delighted to get the win in our first match today,” stated Thorne. “Overall, we got a little slack in the first half, but we pushed on after that and I was really happy with every individual that played today.”

Following Beutler’s goal, UWA went on a scoring spree. With 15 shots coming in the first period, the Tigers were able to score three more, as Green and teammate William Artiga rounded out the first-period scoring with a pair of goals.

“It was pretty early in the game,” described Beutler. “We had a corner kick, so I just went back post, the ball slipped through and I knocked in. I guess I was just in the right place.”

With a sizable 3-0 lead, West Alabama added insurance in the second half with an equally impressive performance in the final 45 minutes of action.

Freshman defender Thibault Charmey came alive during that frame, scoring a goal at the 56:51 mark. Charmey also had two shots on goal in the final period and assisted on Artiga’s score at 36:55.

Another surprise for the Tigers on Friday came from sophomore midfielder Jonathon McLouth. McLouth entered the contest in the final 30 minutes and made the most of his time on the field with two goals. Vitor Gazza rounded out the Tiger scoring effort with a goal at the 77:37 mark.

With the win, UWA moves to 1-0 on the year and hosts Concordia at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Following the men’s match, UWA’s women’s team entertains Oakwood at 3:30 p.m.