Indians Outlast Northeast Alabama in Season Opener

FULTON, MS - The men's soccer team opened the 2025 season in style with a 5-3 win over Northeast Alabama on Friday night in Fulton.

The Indians wasted no time putting pressure on the visiting Knights. Adam White (Montreuil, France) found the net in the 5th minute off a pass from Shota Kawagoe (Kitakyushu, Japan). Just two minutes later, Jeremiah Dudley (Oxford) doubled the lead with help from Guilherme Ferri (Bady Bassitt, Brazil). Villads Juma (Helsingor, Denmark) buried a strike in the 12th minute on an assist from Aiden Dodge (Hernando) to make it 3-0.

Northeast settled in and got one back in the 24th minute when Bladimir Cervantes scored off a pass from Alexis Vega. ICC still carried a 3-1 advantage into the half.

Juma gave the Indians a spark right after the break with an unassisted goal in the 51st minute. The Knights answered quickly. Adam Shumate converted a penalty in the 55th minute and later set up Jose Arreguin in the 71st to close the gap to 4-3.

With the momentum shifting, ICC needed an answer. Jay Sanders (Tupelo) delivered. His strike in the 82nd minute put the match out of reach and locked up the season-opening victory.

"I'm really proud of how the guys came out and set the tone early," ICC head coach Caryl Vogel said. "We knew Northeast would make a push, but our team showed a lot of composure and found a way to finish the job. It's always great to start the season with a win, and this gives us something to build on moving forward."

Goalkeeper Hagan Pearce (Peppertown) held strong in net, making three saves while playing all 90 minutes.

The Indians will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Southern Union State Community College at 3 p.m.