WICHITA, Kan.  — Southwestern College made history Wednesday night with its first-ever win over Friends University, defeating the Falcons 2-1 in Wichita to open conference play.

Sophomore forward Marcos Benavidez scored twice for the Moundbuilders, striking first in the 19th minute off an assist from Carlos Villalba and adding a penalty kick in the 79th. Benavidez now has four goals this season, including one in conference play.

Friends answered late when sophomore forward Nathaniel Stephens scored in the 88th minute, assisted by Fernando Suarez Picatoste, while goalkeeper Arturo Pombo-Palomero played the full 90 minutes and recorded three saves to keep the Falcons in contention.

Southwestern finished with a 5-4 edge in shots on goal, making the most of its opportunities. Goalkeeper KJ Masso played the full 90 minutes and finished with three saves to help preserve the victory.

Southwestern improved to 4-2-0 overall and 1-0-0 in conference, while Friends dropped to 0-6-0 overall and 0-1-0 in league play.

The Moundbuilders return home for their next match against York University on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Richard L. Jantz Stadium.