Greenville, Ill. -- The Wheaton men's soccer team traveled to southwestern Illinois on Tuesday afternoon for the first of its two games in the region this week as the Thunder continued their non-conference slate with a match against the Greenville Panthers. Today's hosts scored early and late in the game to earn a 2-1 win that improves their season record to 2-2-1, while Wheaton's first defeat of the year drops the team's mark to 3-1-3. 

The Panthers only registered two shots on goal in this afternoon's contest, but their finishing was clinical, as they found the back of the net on both occasions. Greenville opened the scoring ten minutes into proceedings from the first shot of the game on a direct attack from a goal kick that was finished off with a smooth give-and-go sequence. Luke Vander Kolk nearly answered back for Wheaton two minutes later, but the opposing goalkeeper made a stop to deny the potential equalizer. The Thunder enjoyed a spell of attacking pressure just past the 30-minute mark when three different players fired off shots on target and Vander Kolk struck the post, but Greenville's shot-stopper was up to the task and the home side rode its luck to maintain the lead.

The Panthers then turned the momentum of the match in their favor with three shot attempts and two corner kicks of their own, but Wheaton repelled this wave and leveled the score at 1-1 from a set piece situation. Winning a corner kick in the final minute of the first half, the Thunder's initial delivery into the box was defended by Greenville but not fully cleared, and the ball was recycled to Noah Luther, who lofted a promising first-time cross into the penalty area. CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week Andrew Heeringa played a pivotal role on the offensive end for the second game running, as the senior found himself unmarked on the Panthers' penalty spot and nodded down Luther's cross on goal, which was then was poked in acrobatically by Vander Kolk with a back heel finish, further cementing his position as the team's leading scorer this year with his fifth of the campaign to date. With only seconds remaining in the opening period, this breakthrough was enough to tie the game at 1-1 heading into the intermission.

Greenville started the second 45 with another flurry of offensive chances, although the first effort on target came from Wheaton's Wes Seneff, who came close to putting the visitors in the lead in the 52nd minute. The Thunder only posted five shot attempts after halftime, but three of these looks were on goal compared to nine off-target shots by the Panthers in the second half. Greenville's attacking persistence finally paid dividends in the last six minutes of the match, however, when another long ball down the left wing produced a sharp passing exchange that opened up the guests' defensive unit and created a one-on-one shooting opportunity inside the box. Wheaton wasted no time in mounting a response effort, and Heeringa came within inches of opening his scoring account for the season when his 86th-minute header from a corner kick was punched off the line by the standout Panthers goalkeeper. As they did in the first half, the visitors earned another corner kick chance in the closing seconds, but this time there would be no equalizer as Greenville managed to get the ball away from goal and became the first team to outscore Wheaton this year.

The Thunder were forced to accept defeat on Tuesday despite enjoying a sizable disparity in the number of shots on target and a 54-46% possession advantage. Wheaton took 11 total shots and put eight on goal, while Greenville out-shot its visitor with 14 attempts but only directed the two efforts on target which ultimately made the difference on the scoreboard. The Panthers' keeper made seven saves in a memorable outing, while the corner kick count was balanced at 7-6 in the hosts' favor.

Vander Kolk was the focal point of Wheaton's attacking effort this afternoon, with the junior tallying a game-high three shots on goal including his first-half equalizer. Heeringa put one shot on frame and registered his team-leading third assist of the season, all of which have come in the last two games. Seneff, Timmy Jones, Ashur Eshw, Jack Kern, and Caleb Ryan each contribued one attempt on target in Tuesday's contest.

The Thunder will look to shake off today's disappointment when they next step on the field this Saturday, as the team takes a similar road trip down to St. Louis to face Washington University in a 1 PM clash.