MARIETTA, Ohio — Ohio Northern University broke open a close match in the second half as the Polar Bears defeated Marietta College by the score of 5-1 Saturday (Oct. 5) evening in men's soccer action. The Pioneers slip to 5-5 overall and 0-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Ohio Northern improves to 9-2-1 overall and 1-0 in the OAC.
"Clearly this was not the result we had hoped for. I am disappointed that, as a program, we got it so wrong tonight," Marietta head coach
Joe Bergin said. "As coach, I need to prepare the team better. I need to make the in-game adjustments better and I need to motivate better. As a program, we can do better and we will."
Both defenses controlled the match in the first half as the teams combined for just nine total shots. Ohio Northern managed to grab the early lead when Seth Gundlach beat a Pioneer defender and placed the ball in the lower left corner for a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute.
The Polar Bears extended the lead in the 53rd minute. John Sternasty sent a cross into the box where Caiman Moore headed inside the left post for a 2-0 lead.
Marietta answered in the 59th minute scoring off a corner kick.
Cole Pappas (Pittsburgh, Pa./Avonworth) took the corner and dropped a perfectly placed ball inside the box where
Colston Roades (Mount Orab, Ohio/Western Brown) headed it home.
The score remained 2-1 for the next 20 minutes, but the Polar Bears struck for three goals in a nine-minute span to pull away. Beelal Hasan scored the first of two goals off an assist from Zach Yoder in the 79th minute.
Marietta was whistled for a foul inside the box giving Ohio Northern a penalty kick in the 85th minute. Jimmy Walkinshaw converted the penalty for a 4-1 lead. Hasan finished the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 88th minute.
Dakota Penquite (Blanchester, Ohio/Blanchester) went the distance in goal for Marietta and posted eight saves. John Lombardo recorded a pair of saves in net for the Polar Bears.
"I told the boys before the game we won't win or lose the OAC title tonight," Bergin said. "It is a grind and we will get back to work and try to right the wrongs of tonight."
Marietta plays at Otterbein University on Wednesday (Oct. 9). Kickoff 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.
