MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College scored two goals in 20 seconds to come from behind and beat visiting Hiram College by the score of 3-1 Tuesday (Sept. 25) evening in men's soccer action. The Pioneers finish the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 6-3 record. Hiram falls to 0-7-1 on the season.
"You have to give credit to Hiram. Their play is not representative of their record. They worked incredibly hard and didn't allow us to get into our game," Marietta head coach
Joe Bergin said. "I think their goal woke us up and I am pleased with our response, I mean who wouldn't be with two goals in 30 seconds. I hate that it took a goal against us to get us going."
Hiram grabbed the early lead with a goal in the 25th minute. Giovanni Meza sent a cross into the six-yard box where Tommy Rink was waiting to finish it off. The goal was Rink's first of the season.
Marietta leveled the match 90 seconds later when
Tom Sloan (Stockport, England/Wilmslow) took advantage of a Hiram miscue. The Terriers turned the ball over inside their own 18-yard box giving Sloan a one-on-one with the keeper. The senior slipped the ball inside the right post for his fourth goal of the fall.
20 seconds later,
Robert Phillips (Elkins, W.Va./Aquinas Academy (Pa.)) notched the game winner.
Andy Rolfes (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) sent a through ball to Phillips inside the 18. Phillips fired the ball past Hiram keeper CJ Keith for a 2-1 Pioneer lead. The goal was his fourth of the year.
Marietta dominated possession for most of the match and tallied an insurance goal in the 74th minute.
Noah Laliberty (Scott Depot, W.Va./Winfield) sent a long ball into the six-yard box where
Gavin Long (Surrey, United Kingdom/) was waiting to head it home for his first career goal.
The Pioneers outshot Hiram 16-6 for the match, including an 8-3 edge in shots on goal. Marietta took four corner kicks to just two for the Terriers.
Trevor Dykstra (Jamestown, N.Y./Falconer Central) went the distance in goal for the Pioneers recording a pair of saves. Keith posted five saves for Hiram.
"We finish a very strong non-conference portion of our schedule with six wins including the last four in a row," Bergin said. "We know the OAC is a grind, but I think the boys are excited to see how we match up against the conference."
Marietta opens conference play at Ohio Northern on Saturday (Sept. 27). Kickoff in Ada is set for 7 p.m.
Fans can follow all of the Pioneer teams all year long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
