Huntington, Ind. – Madonna University men's soccer earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Huntington University on Saturday afternoon at King Stadium.
The Crusaders controlled much of the match offensively, finishing with a 13-8 advantage in shots and putting nine attempts on target. Madonna also held a 6-3 edge in corner kicks while keeping Huntington off the scoreboard for the full 90 minutes.
After a scoreless opening 40 minutes, Madonna finally broke through in the 43rd minute.
Lucas Schoenberger found the back of the net at the 42:36 mark to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
Pedro Zucchi was credited with an assist on the goal, with the team also receiving an assist in the scoring play.
Madonna carried its momentum into the second half, continuing to create opportunities while Huntington attempted to find an equalizer.
Pedro Zucchi was particularly active after halftime, forcing Huntington goalkeeper Zane Hydock into three saves within the opening 12 minutes of the second half.
The Crusaders continued to generate pressure through the remainder of the match. Madonna recorded seven second-half shots and earned three corner kicks, while its defense limited Huntington to just six shots during the final 45 minutes.
Goalkeeper
Afonso Henrique played all 90 minutes between the posts and delivered a clean-sheet performance. Henrique made two saves, including stops on shots from Max Nayo in the 69th minute and Matheus Menegueli in the 74th minute, helping preserve Madonna's narrow advantage late in the contest.
Huntington continued to pressure forward in the final minutes, earning a corner kick and producing a header opportunity from Kovan Drenth, but Madonna's defense remained composed and protected the one-goal advantage.
Schoenberger led Madonna with three shots, including two on target, while Zucchi recorded three shots and three shots on goal while contributing an assist.
Basile Lozachmeur added three shots and two on target as the Crusaders consistently challenged the Huntington defense.
The victory moves Madonna to 2-1-2 on the season, while Huntington falls to 1-2-0. The Crusaders will look to build on the road victory as the season continues when they host the Trojans of Taylor University on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 5:30 PM. The contest will be held at MU Soccer and Lacrosse Field in Livonia, Michigan.
