Mustangs drop road match to 16th-ranked Statesmen

OSKALOOSA, Iowa -- Bernardo Lima's second goal of the night was the clincher as 16th-ranked William Penn fought off Mount Mercy, 2-1, in a Heart of America Athletic Conference showdown on Wednesday at Drost Field.

The Mustangs (6--2, 3-2-1 Heart) came in a game-and-a-half behind the Statesmen (10-3-0, 5-1-0 Heart), who were holding down second place in the league. Their only loss in the last nine games was to top-ranked Central Methodist (Mo.) on Saturday. Mount Mercy was looking for its first win in three matches.

They got off to a good start, with Rafael Passanha (SO/Lisbon, Portugal) putting the Mustangs in front only nine minutes into the match. Less than a minute later, though, Lima leveled the score at 1-1. That's where it stayed for about 56 minutes until Lima struck again, drilling the game-winner in the 66th minute. The Statesmen held an advantage in shots (21-6), as well as shots on goal (13-1), but barely escaped with the home win.

Mount Mercy, which got 11 saves by goalkeeper Matias da Fonseca (SO/Lisbon, Portugal), will play four of its final five regular-season games at home. First up is a match with Graceland on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex.