HOWELL, Mich. - A breakthrough just 68 seconds after halftime delivered a winning result for Madonna University on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Kaito Hashimoto scored the only goal as Madonna (6-3-3) defeated Cleary (MI) (MI) (4-9-1) 1-0 at Lake Trust Stadium in Howell, Michigan. Goalkeeper Afonso Henrique backed the decisive finish with four saves in a complete-match shutout.
The first half demanded steady work at both ends. Madonna held a 6-5 edge in shots, but the hosts earned three corner kicks to the visitors' one. Afonso Henrique stopped a shot from Juan Camilo Osorio at 16:44, then denied a header by Mason Booth at 33:08 to keep the match scoreless heading into halftime.
Kaito Hashimoto broke the deadlock at 46:08, with Tidiane Diop and Haruki Onishi each contributing an assist. The goal scorer finished with four shots, including three on target, across 90 minutes. Tidiane Diop added three shots, while Haruki Onishi and Daniel Watkins supplied two apiece. Daniel Watkins also put one effort on goal as Madonna outshot the hosts 10-4 after halftime and earned all four of the second half's corner kicks.
Protecting that narrow advantage required more timely stops. Afonso Henrique saved a Mason Booth header at 56:43 and turned away Dexter Todd at 66:03 for the fourth and final save. The hosts came close again at 67:22, when Mason Booth headed a shot against the post. Fabian Schlechte and Jeshua Cubillos each played the full 90 minutes as Madonna preserved the shutout.
The hosts' Callum Johnson received a yellow card at 80:32 and a red card at 88:41, leaving just 1:19 in regulation. Madonna finished with a 16-9 advantage in shots and a 5-3 edge in corners, while both teams recorded four shots on goal. The road victory moved Madonna to 4-1-0 in league play; Cleary (MI) (MI) finished the match at 2-4-0.
The Crusaders will be back in action on October 10, 2026 when they face the Blue Devils on Lawrence Tech at 3:30 PM at MU Soccer and Lacrosse Field.
