SALISBURY, N.C. – The Catawba men's soccer team battled shorthanded to a 0-0 draw against South Atlantic Conference (SAC) opponent Emory & Henry on Saturday afternoon behind a strong defensive effort to remain unbeaten.
Catawba (5-0-2, 2-0-1 SAC) recorded its fifth straight clean sheet, this time down a man after Igor Gonçalves received a red card in the 40th minute. The blue and white's tenacious defense allowed just two shots on goal as sophomore goalkeeper Héctor Vara stood tall in the box.
The physical match featured seven total yellow cards, 39 cumulative fouls and countless stoppages. The Wasps tallied nine corner kicks and the blue and white posted three.
The nation's leader in game-winning goals, Alex Payton, tried posting one just a minute into the contest, but was denied by the E&H keeper.
In the 14th minute, Juan Camilo fired a shot toward the bottom left of the goal, which the Wasps once again stopped.
Giovanni Massacesi, Camilo and Diogo Gimenez recorded more shots in the first period but were off the mark as the SAC foes went into halftime scoreless.
The Catawba Indians' offensive opportunities were limited in the second half following the red card, but the defense held firm.
Down a man, the Catawba defense still smothered Emory & Henry, allowing just four total shots in the second half thanks to quality efforts from Guilherme Quintas and Leo Souza logging all 90 minutes, along with Álvaro Díaz, who played the full second period.
The blue and white's best chance offensively came in the 47th minute when Payton got out in front of the Wasps defense and delivered an accurate crossing pass that was headed just left of the goal by Gabriel Miranda.
Vara made an electric diving save in the 53rd minute to keep his sheet clean, while Díaz was there to clear out the Wasps' best opportunity.
Emory & Henry gave a last-chance effort with three corner kicks in the final three minutes, but the conference's best defense made crucial plays to come away with the 0-0 draw.
Catawba will get a break before hitting the road for more SAC action on Sunday, September 27, at Tusculum at 4:30 p.m.