Bulldog boys thunder past Wolves in windy soccer match

LINCOLN — Lightning struck early in the match as the Decatur Bulldogs thundered past the Wolves to take the first conference soccer match of the 2021 season.

The Bulldogs arrived in Lincoln around 4 p.m. and as the team took to the field for warmups, a thunderstorm rolled in with rain and lightning strikes within 10 miles of the stadium, prompting both teams to take shelter in the football locker room for a 30-minute wait.

Just as the first period was about to expire, a second lightning strike hit within the 10-mile limit, prompting a second delay in the game. Finally, the skies cleared and both teams took the field at Wolves Stadium for warmups.

Shortly before the start of the match, the wind picked up with gusts over 20 miles an hour. The strong winds played a big factor in the outcome of the match.

The match was underway after a ninety-minute delay.

Decatur went on the offensive throughout the first 10 minutes of the first half. Then at the 15:30 mark, Roger Hernandez went on the offensive, driving the ball from midfield to the net where he launched a shot past the Wolves goalie for the first and only point of the contest. The Bulldogs went into the halftime break leading 1-0.

In the second half, Lincoln went on the offensive for the first 20 minutes, but the outstanding goaltending of Decatur’s Ben Watkins prevented any Lincoln scoring.

The Decatur Bulldogs went on to take the conference win, 1-0, over the Lincoln Wolves in the only match of the week.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Andres Revolorio (left) goes into an overhead kick in an attempt to keep the ball away from a Wolves player during the March 17 Lincoln-Decatur soccer match at Wolves Stadium in Lincoln. The Bulldogs took the match, 1-0, over the Wolves.