MILWAUKEE – Paolo Gratton scored on a header in the fourth minute and Raul Medina netted a first-half penalty kick to send the Milwaukee men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Wright State Sunday.
 
The Panthers (3-2) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead against the Raiders (2-2) and the defense was up to the task the rest of the way on a cold and windy afternoon at Engelmann Stadium.
 
"The guys were excited, it was our first home game in quite some time," head coach Kris Kelderman said. "It was nice to see that we got off to a really good start. A lot of good energy and we scored a goal early, which gave us more confidence. I was very pleased with the way we played in the first half – especially against the wind. I thought our possession was good and I thought we created some other opportunities."
 
Milwaukee converted its first chance, coming on a free kick after a foul at the 3-minute mark. Josh Kidder sent a perfect serve to the far post on his 40-yard set up, with Gratton diving to the ground to sneak the header inside the left post.
 
Gratton was involved again for the second goal, with his pass freeing up Logan Farrington for a breakaway opportunity. The WSU goalkeeper then took Farrington down in the box, setting up the PK. Medina converted for what turned out to be his second-straight game-winning goal at the 16:21 mark.
 
"In the second half, with them being down and going against the wind, the game was going to become much more direct," Kelderman said. "It was a tall task for our back line to deal with all of that, happening in front of our goal. It turned into a game where you just have to roll up your sleeves and fight through it."
 
The wind provided for plenty of challenges for both teams, with long balls getting held up on a regular basis. WSU broke through for a goal on a scramble in front of the net in the 58^th minute, but Nick Chiappa and the defense did its job the final 30-plus minutes to secure the victory.
 
Chiappa was credited with five saves on the day, none bigger – or better – than his stop on a Raider breakaway in the 64^th minute.
 
Kidder nearly snuck in a blast from the left wing in the 55^th minute that could have made it 3-0, coming after a give-and-go with Kasper Davidsson following a free kick. A nice save at the post denied the threat.
 
WSU did become the aggressor after trailing in the second half, finishing with a slight 16-to-12 advantage in shots. MKE did grab the edge in shots on goal at 7-6. Farrington led the way with four shots.
 
Both teams finished with four corner kicks, while WSU was shown five of the six yellow cards in the match.
 
The Panthers will continue the spring slate with a home game against Cleveland State March 6, currently set for a 1 p.m. kickoff.