Box Score

Galesburg, IL - The Prairie Fire, after a back-and-forth match in the first half, stiffened up on defense and scored the game-winning goal early in the second stanza to beat MacMurray College 5-4 Monday afternoon at Jorge Prats Field.

The crowd at the home opener for Knox (1-1) was treated to a combined eight goals in the first 45 minutes of action.  The Highlanders (1-1), after trailing on three different occasions, managed to forge a 4-4 tie at the intermission on a goal by Mason Rowe at the 37:16 mark.

Prairie Fire sophomore Avinab Rajbhandary (Nepal, Malpi Institute) scored 2:03 into the match, assisted by junior Donald Tchopya (San Francisco, CA, Galileo Academy of Science and Technology), to give his team a 1-0 lead.  MacMurray answered back at the 3:52 mark for a 1-1 tie. 

Senior Jack Barthell (Bloomington, MN, Jefferson High School) had a big day for the Prairie Fire.  He scored the next two goals, at 8:08 and 15:07, for a 3-1 lead.

The Highlanders fought back with goals at 23:41 and 26:28 to tie the match at 3-3.  The Fire reclaimed the lead at 4-3 on a score by first-year player Jacob Polay (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) 27:51 into the first half before Rowe's second goal pulled MacMurray even.

The Prairie Fire defense held MacMurray College in check in the second half, allowing just three shots after the Highlanders attempted eight in the first half.  Knox fired off 17 shots over the final 45 minutes and 24 total.

The biggest goal of the match occurred at the 49:35 mark when sophomore Prajwal Taludhar (Kathmandu, Nepal, St. George's School) scored on a header, assisted by sophomore Maxwell Gatyas (Plymouth, WI, Plymouth High School), for a 5-4 Prairie Fire lead that held up.

Sophomore goalie Franz Huebner (Heredia, Costa Rica, Lincoln School) had two saves and earned his first win in the net this season.

The Prairie Fire returns to the field Wednesday at Eureka College.  The match is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m.

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