CHICAGO – The University of Chicago men's soccer team made a successful return to the pitch on Wednesday night, as Ben Brandt's free kick goal early in the second half gave the home team a 1-0 win against Kalamazoo College.

It marked the Maroons' first home match since Nov. 9, 2019 – the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stagg Field turf has proven kind to UChicago, with a 36-4-3 record at home since the start of the 2016 season.

The first half of play saw the No. 19-ranked Maroons hunting for offensive momentum. The home side set themselves up with transition and on-rushing opportunities with good lead passes. But the finishing touch just eluded them. Sophomore Robbie Pino got the first blast of the match 19 minutes in, but his attempt was blocked by a well-positioned Kalamazoo defender.

UChicago put everything together in the 37th minute with a highlight-reel effort. Senior Vicente Mateus stole the ball at the right edge of Kalamazoo's box and immediately strung a perfect pass in front to first-year Ryan Shea, who deftly buried a back-heel shot into the net. However, the goal was disallowed thanks to an offsides call.

While the Maroons only got off two shots in the first half, they grew into the game after halftime. An uptick in aggression and passes into the open field allowed the forwards to press up quickly and catch Kalamazoo's defenders in bad positions. All told, UChicago finished with a 13-5 shot advantage by game's end.

The breakthrough came in the game's 54th minute. An illegal touch by the goalkeeper on a back pass by the defense gave UChicago a golden opportunity with a free kick inside the box. After a quick initial touch by junior Kameron Bloye, it was Brandt who buried a left-footed strike inside the left post.

The Maroons controlled the action from there, although the Hornets did make things interesting on several counterattack opportunities after intercepting errant passes. However, the visitors were limited to only one shot on goal in the match. UChicago's backline defenders held strong and stopped dangerous runs at the ideal moment. Junior sweeper Griffin Wada was particularly effective in his one-on-ones, routinely picking his opponent's pocket and sending the ball back the other way.

UChicago's forward momentum created high-quality opportunities throughout the second half, but Kalamazoo did not concede another after the free kick. While the Hornets made a big push in the dying seconds, the Maroons held firm to clinch the shutout.

Sophomore goalkeeper Will Boyes earned the win with one save in 90 minutes of action. Shea and sophomore Ryan Yetishefsky combined for six total shots to lead the offense.

NEXT GAME:

• Friday, Sept. 3 @ 5:00 PM (ET) – UChicago at Wabash College