Milwaukee City Wire

Angel Gongora scored a penalty kick in the 88th minute to help the Milwaukee Panthers men's soccer team secure a 1-1 draw against Oakland on Saturday afternoon at Oakland Soccer Field. The Panthers, who now have a record of 2-3-5 overall and 1-0-2 in Horizon League play, trailed the Golden Grizzlies from the 11th minute but managed to claim a point in this conference matchup.

Head coach Kris Kelderman commented on his team's performance after halftime: "The positive is that the guys responded really well," Kelderman said. "I mean, outside of scoring two goals to win the game, I just thought the response was very good. The energy picked up the, the fight picked up, the urgency to go forward … we created some chances. Much better in the second half and to get a point on the road against a team like Oakland could do us wonders at the end of the season with all of the parity in the conference."

In the final minutes, Milwaukee increased offensive pressure with Bienvenu Djunga getting two notable opportunities in quick succession. On his second attempt in the 88th minute, Djunga was fouled inside the box, resulting in a penalty kick that Gongora converted for an equalizer.

Reflecting on their early struggles, Kelderman stated: "The first half was a lackluster performance from us, to say the least. I couldn't have a big enough go with the guys at halftime – we looked disinterested, we looked flat, we looked like a group of guys that didn't have a whole lot of energy or fight, and it was disappointing. With some of the strong performances that we've had throughout this season, I was disappointed that we came out in a conference game in that manner. We were lucky to only be down a goal at halftime – and I don't have a problem saying that, and I said that to the guys at halftime."

Milwaukee's offense generated several chances throughout both halves but did not find success until late. Early attempts included Fernando Pirry’s shot off Djunga’s pass in the 12th minute which was saved by Oakland’s goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper Nic Diana contributed six saves during the match, including key stops in both halves to keep Milwaukee within reach.

Oakland finished with more total shots (15-11), shots on target (8-6), and corners (9-3). Djunga led Milwaukee with four shot attempts.

The Panthers will continue their season with an away game against Virginia on October 1 at 6 p.m. Central Time. Virginia currently holds a record of 5-1-1 and is ranked No. 12 nationally.