Statesmen Deliver 2-1 Victory Over Park

Oskaloosa--The No. 8 William Penn men's soccer team returned to winning form Tuesday night, securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Park in Heart of America Athletic Conference action.

After a challenging stretch of results, the Statesmen (8-4-4, 6-3-3 Heart) earned a much-needed win to clinch their spot in the Heart Conference Tournament. Now, the navy and gold will look to solidify a home seed and strengthen their postseason position.

Both sides produced balanced efforts offensively, tallying 12 shots apiece, though WPU held a 7-5 edge in shots on goal over the Pirates (6-8-2, 6-4-2 Heart).

Park struck first, breaking the deadlock late in the opening half with an unassisted goal in the 41st minute. 

Despite trailing at the break, the Statesmen had shown early attacking promise, posting a 7-4 shot advantage in the first 45 minutes.

The second half saw a revitalized William Penn side take control. 

In the 64th minute, Angel Valdez (So., Mexicali, Mexico, Nursing) delivered a well-placed free kick into the box, where Rob Stoop (So., Bosch en Duin, Netherlands, Exercise Science) battled through traffic to slot the ball into the net for the equalizer.

Less than two minutes later, a foul in the box handed the Statesmen a golden opportunity to take the lead. Matias Meijide (Grad., Brunete, Spain, Master's of Organizational Leadership) calmly converted from the penalty spot, putting WPU ahead 2-1 -- a scoreline that would hold until the final whistle.

Despite being outshot 8-5 in the second half, the Statesmen's composure proved the difference. 

Mathis Thyli (So., Raufoss, Norway, Business Management) led the way with three shots, while Will Couch (Jr., Burnley, England, Sports Management) and Meijide each recorded two.

Up Next: The Statesmen close out the 2025 regular season Saturday, hosting Heart rival Grand View at 7:00 p.m. at Drost Field for Senior Night.