Seward shocks No. 3-ranked Tigers with late goal, 1-1 tie

Moving up to No. 3 in the national rankings, the Cowley College men's soccer team appeared poised to win its home opener against Seward on Wednesday and move to 3-0. However, a goal by Seward County's Javier Ruchelli Alva tied the game with only five minutes remaining, and the teams went on to the 1-1 tie.

Cowley is now 2-0-1 overall and 1-0-1 in the Jayhawk Conference, while Seward (1-1-2) moves to 0-0-2 in the conference.

On Wednesday, Cowley sophomore Kohsuke Fukudome scored his second goal of the season off an assist from Joao Magalhaes to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead midway through the first half.

Cowley would keep the pressure on Seward goalkeeper Bruno Mestres, who stopped 11 of the 12 shots he faced.

Unable to add to its lead, the Tigers would allow Ruchelli Alva to score off an assist from Francisco Nava Gomez in the game's final minutes, and the contest would end in a tie.

"It was a tough game that we made even harder," Cowley head coach Ruy Vaz said. "Seward is a good team in transition and has some talented players. We should have been more concentrated and less complacent. Hopefully, we learn a lesson from this game."

Cowley will play at Dodge City on Sunday at 6 p.m. The Conquistadors are 1-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference, with a win over defending conference champion Barton County.

"Dodge City is a tough team to play on the road," Vaz said. "We hope to bring more energy on Sunday."