WASHINGTON – Gallaudet University and Wilson College were locked up in a defensive struggle here on a mild overcast Sunday afternoon at Hotchkiss Field during Mental Health Awareness Week.

The two teams were searching for their first win as both parties played aggressive and strong throughout the 90-minute game.

In the end, a late-minute goal by Wilson broke up a 1-1 tie as the Phoenix (1-4) walked out with a 2-1 win over the Bison (0-5).

Gallaudet had a second-half goal wiped out by an offsides call made by an official in the 64th minute. First year Angelo Moreno (Forsyth, Ga.) got the pass from fellow first year Samson Abraham (Seattle, Wash.) but Moreno was called for being offsides in a bang-bang play. That goal would've given the Bison a 2-1 advantage with 26 minutes left to play.

Instead, the game carried on and the Phoenix regained the lead in the 87th minute. Eric Arbogast sent a ball into the goalie box, on a kick from the near sideline. Ethan Locklear got behind the Bison defender, in a similar situation to Moreno's goal, and kicked the ball into the goal past Gallaudet goalie Vershon Carter (Chicago, Ill.) as the Phoenix celebrated the goal and eventually their first win of the season.

In the first half, Wilson scored 12 minutes in on a Bryson Curtis goal off a long throw in from Andrew Bailey. The 1-0 margin stood through halftime and beyond.

Gallaudet got on the scoreboard when sophomore Hammad Khan (Little Rock, Ark.) weaved through the Wilson defense and found junior Bode Aggas (West Henrietta, N.Y.), who booted a hard shot through the hands of Wilson goalie Gerson Navarro to knot the game at one apiece. The goal was Aggas' first in his career as a Bison.

Wilson held a 12-2 edge in shots as the Phoenix took four corner kicks.

Prior to the start of the game the two teams came together to show solidarity during Mental Health Awareness Week at GU. Former Gallaudet student-athlete and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member Ariel Senics shared some comments about the importance of Mental Health and how to get help. Gallaudet's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff handed out green shirts to fans to promote mental health awareness. If you are a Gallaudet student and you are in need of help please reach out to faculty and staff to help you. You can also reach out to CAPS at https://gallaudet.edu/counseling-psychological-services/. 

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Gallaudet will begin United East Conference play next Saturday, Sept. 23, on the road at Penn State Harrisburg (2-3-2). The Volt Division opening game was originally scheduled to be at GU but it has now been moved to Harrisburg.