USAFA, Colo. – Days after suffering heartbreak at home, the Central Arkansas men's soccer team rebounded and got in the win column on Friday, downing the Air Force Falcons 2-1 at Cadet Soccer Stadium. Sophomore Pietro Fontana picked up his second-career multi-goal game in the win.
 
The Bears (1-3-1) picked up their first win of the season after a gritty, physical match against the Falcons. And this time, it was Central Arkansas scoring in the final five minutes, staying dangerous for 90 minutes and refusing to take the foot off the gas pedal.
 
The teams traded possession in the early part of the match, leading to Devonte Richards taking the first shot of the match in the 13^th minute. Air Force responded with its first shot seven minutes later, leading to a dangerous counterattack by the Bears. Driving down, Richards again ended up with a clean shot, but it was punched out by the keeper. Unfortunately for the Falcons, it went right to Fontana, who settled and scored to put the Bears ahead early.
 
Air Force settled the game in the latter stages of the first half, combining multiple passes and moving up the field with determination and purpose. But each and every drive ended the same way: with the Bears, usually Elijah Bishop or Connor Wachtel, ending the threat. While Bishop and the defenders did a terrific job of preventing the ball from getting in the box at all, Wachtel was a premier custodian in the first half, cleaning up and keeping the clean sheet through the first 45 minutes.
 
But the Falcons made the right adjustments in the locker room at half, creating a shot early in the half that bounced off of the woodwork and, similar to the Bears, got a lucky bounce as a result that allowed Air Force to level the score.
 
The energy of the match changed with the score knotted at 1-1. With both teams having shown an ability to score, understandably, both sides wanted more. The physicality ramped up, causing the foul count to rise as Bears and Falcons alike battled for an advantage.
 
With just under four minutes remaining, a combination from Jerry Gutierrez and Richards landed again at the feet of Fontana, who dribbled into the box and smashed in his second goal of the match, sliding one past the keeper into the left side of the goal. It was the fifth goal of the Italian's career, and his team-best third goal this season. Wachtel made one last save with a minute remaining in the match, but the defense kept the Falcons outside the box through the final whistle, sealing the deal on the first win of the season for Central Arkansas.
 
The Bears remain in Colorado for the next one, facing yet another ranked opponent in Denver on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. CT.