RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls men's soccer team had an electric second-half comeback Friday night at Ramer Soccer Stadium but ultimately fell short, dropping a 4-3 decision to UW-Stevens Point in WIAC play.
Before the game, the Falcons recognized seniors
Josh Bates,
Kellen Richardson and
TJ Whisenhunt, key members of the program since the program's inaugural 2024 season. The trio has helped build the foundation and set the standard for future Falcons on and off the field.
The Pointers built an early advantage behind two first-half goals from Jaxon Buckley and Vincent Bianco, followed by second-half strikes from Connor Urban and Devin Wilkerson.
After falling to 4-0 in the 56th minute, the Falcons surged back with three unanswered goals over a 16-minute stretch.
River Falls flipped the momentum midway through the second half when
Victor Vancauteren found the back of the net in the 61st minute to put the Falcons on the board. Vancauteren struck again just seven minutes later, assisted by
Danny Acevedo and
Carter Eklund, trimming the deficit to 4-2.
The Falcons continued pressing forward, and in the 77th minute
Mauricio Cuevas connected off another Acevedo assist to make it 4-3. Despite several late opportunities, UWRF couldn't find the equalizer before the final whistle.
River Falls outshot the Pointers 24-16, including an 11-8 edge in shots on goal, and held a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks. Goalkeeper
Josh Bates recorded four saves in the effort, while the Falcons' attack featured 14 different players with shot attempts.
The Falcons (3-8-3, 0-3-1 WIAC) finish their non-conference slate next week, hosting the Bethel Royals at Ramer Soccer Stadium.
