DeYou Gets Loose for Two; Eagles Pick Up AAC Win Over the Royals

Waleska, GA - In an enthralling AAC soccer clash at Ken White Field, the Reinhardt University Eagles secured a decisive 3-1 victory against Johnson (TN) Royals on October 8, 2025. The Eagles, bolstered by strong performances across the board, improved their season record to 3-6-2 overall and 3-4-1 in conference play.

From the onset, Reinhardt demonstrated a commanding presence on the field, leading to a 2-0 score by halftime. Biel Farre and Evan DeYou were pivotal, scoring these early goals that set the tone for the rest of the game. Nathan Booth and Christian Anderson provided crucial assists, enhancing the team's offensive dynamics.  Booth had two assists on the night as the Eagles controlled the first half. Anderson provided the assists on DeYou's second goal.

The second half saw continued dominance by the Eagles, with DeYou scoring his second goal of the night, which also served as the game-winning goal. Johnson managed to slip one goal past Reinhardt's goalie, Andree Meza, on a penalty kick, but it wasn't enough to turn the tide. Meza's goalkeeping, combined with a solid defensive performance, kept the Royals at bay.

The penalty kick for the Royals came from a handball in the box in a unique situation.  Reinhardt's Cristian Gonzalez found himself as the only player between a Johnson forward and the back of the net. He was called for a deliberate handball in the box in a direct scoring opportunity for the Royals. This resulted in an automatic red card being called by the center referee. This initially stopped a goal, but the Royals were able to connect on the penalty shot that got past Meza.

Gonzalez is the workhorse in the backline for the Eagles, and he had another solid game going before he was called for the handball. Gonzalez left the game with about thirty minutes remaining, but the Eagles held strong the rest of the way and prevented Johnson from adding any more goals. Connor O'Brien, Jack Winter, and Dylan Griggs picked up the slack and kept a solid backline, which helped the Eagles get their third win of the season.

DeYou's second goal of the game came when the Eagles were down a man.  This was an incredible shot that DeYou ripped from the right flank and gave the Eagles the security needed to finish out the game with the 3-1 win!

The team looks forward to carrying this momentum into their next match against Union Commonwealth on Saturday in Barbourville, Kentucky.  The Eagles will need to finish strong in this final stretch of the season in order to keep their place in the conference tournament.