LIBERTY, Mo. – Rogers State opened up its season with a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over William Jewell on Friday night at Greene Stadium. A trio of England natives led the way for the Hillcats, scoring all three goals.
After controlling possession over the first 20 minutes, the Hillcats fell behind as William Jewell capitalized on a foul from the Hillcats. Freshman
Manuel Camarena received the only caution on the night, as he was issued a yellow card at 23:55. William Jewell capitalized as Alex Trinidad set up Dawson Lee to give the home side the lead on the 24-minute mark.
The Hillcats wouldn't trail for long, as senior
Jake Simpson moved into a tie for sixth on the all-time scoring list at Rogers State with his 14
th career goal. The Cambridge, England native took a pass from
Chris Sowder and was able to beat goalkeeper Jose Cambreros in the 29
th minute for the tying goal.
The game stayed at 1-1 for the remainder of the half despite the Hillcats outshooting the Cardinals 12-4 in the first 45 minutes.
Six minutes into the second half, Simpson was on the other end of a Hillcat goal, setting up
Luke Morgan, who netted a debut goal that proved to be the game winner. Morgan, who came to Rogers State from Nottinghamshire, England, was one of seven Hillcats to make their first appearance for the navy and red in the game.
The Hillcats would control the majority of the game, claiming 55 percent of the possession, while outshooting the hosts 24-13 in the contest including 13-5 in shots on target.
Rogers State sophomore goalkeeper
Austin Wormell would make four saves, all in the second half, to help the Hillcats hold onto the lead over the final 45 minutes and pick up a victory in his debut.
Jordan Watson would seal the victory for the Hillcats in the 87
th minute with a long-range effort. The senior from London, England caught Cambreros out of position and scored from the right wing for his fifth career goal and first since 2017 after missing the majority of last year with an injury.
The Hillcats will have a day off before taking on Rockhurst on Sunday to wrap up the first week of the season. Rogers State will take on the Hawks for the second time in program history, with the game set for 2:30 p.m. at Bourke Field in Kansas City.
