Monty leads offensive outburst in win for Eutectics

The University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy were on the road Wednesday afternoon for a non-conference tilt with the Blackburn Beavers. The Eutectics were coming off back-to-back shutout losses to Webster and Illinois College and trying for their first win of the season.

The Beavers dented the board first just over ten minutes into the contest. Luke Atkinson lofted a ball to the right side of the six-yard box. A Eutectic defender tried to deflect the ball away from trouble with a header, but could not get the angle and Shane Greathouse was able to put it in the back of the Eutectics net with a header of his own to put Blackburn up 1-0.

The Eutectics seemed to take a while to get the offense going, but once they found the back of the net, it was a cavalcade of goals. Jacob Woodard started the party at the 18-minute mark taking a high arcing lead pass from Mohammed Alkenani to tie the game at 1-1. Minutes later, Woodard just missed a chance at a go-ahead goal drilling one just over the Beaver crossbar. With 20:58 left in the half, it was Alvaro Montijano continuing a brilliant start to the season with his team-leading third goal of the year. UHSP keeper Jack Wolfe threw an outlet pass to Grant Woodard who delivered a pass up field to Montijano. The Eutectic striker was in a 30-yard footrace against Blackburn defender David Kane, but Montijano was keen enough to maintain possession and bury one in the low right corner of the net for a 2-1 lead. The offensive chances continued for the Eutectics with just under nine minutes left in the half. Jacob Woodard ran down an outlet pass in the UHSP offensive half. With a shot from the right wing, the Blackburn keeper got a hand on it with a dive to his right, keeping the ball out of the net for the moment. The momentum took the ball close to the goal-line and Nicholas Vaughn tried in vain to keep it out of the Beaver's net. He was able to get a head on the ball, but was unable to clear it as it went into the net for a 3-1 UHSP lead at the half.

The second half was more of the same for the Purple and Gold as they put the game out of reach. Montijano buried his second of the game and fourth of the year 3:07 into the second half, putting USHP up 4-1. Greathouse matched Montijano and Woodard with his second of the contest on an assist from Dylan Klunk to cut the Beavers' deficit to two. But the Eutectics continued to pour it on and it was Montijano leading the charge. He became just the second-ever Eutectic to record a hat trick with 35:08 left in the game. The Euts came downfield in a four-on-two, a pass to Grant Woodard to the left flank was off the mark, forcing Woodard to the left corner to retrieve the ball. Woodard hit a crossing shot that Montijano connected with while diving for a header to reclaim a three-goal lead on a goal that would make any highlight reel. UHSP went on to win by that 5-2 count.

Montijano matches Josh Anim Ano as the only players in Eutectics men's soccer history to record a hat-trick. Anim Ano's came against Concordia Seminary on Oct. 26, 2016. The five total goals match the second most goals scored in a single game with seven being the all-time Eutectic record. The win puts the Eutectics (1-3-1) in the W-column for the first time this season as Blackburn falls to that same 1-3-1 mark.

The Eutectics are back in action this Saturday for a 3:30p kickoff in Chesterfield when they play host to the Kansas Christian Falcons. After that, it is a road trip to play Division-I Lindenwood and then the American Midwest Conference opener at Missouri Baptist on Sept. 23.