ERIE, Pa. – The Baldwin Wallace University men's soccer team won its 2019 season opener with a 6-1 win over Chatham (Pa.) University in the Herb Lauffer Memorial Tournament, hosted by Penn State Behrend College.
BW (1-0), who faced a Chatham (0-1) squad competing in their first ever game in program history, advances to take on host team, Penn State Behrend College in the championship game tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.
Senior three-time All-OAC forward Danny Ruple (Berea/Berea-Midpark) scored the Yellow Jackets' first goal of the 2019 season in the 12th minute, zooming down the right wing andchipping the ball just by the keeper's reach. Senior forward Cannon Dees (Berea/Berea-Midpark) assisted on the goal. Ruple found his way on the scoresheet once again in the 20th minute, banking in an easy goal after a costly turnover by the Chatham keeper. Roughly a minute prior to the end of the first half, a shot from just outside the crease by freshman midfielder Andras Fabian (Hinckley/Highland) found its way to sophomore forward Michael Douzos (Amherst/Firelands), who capitalized on the convenient rebound to put BW up 3-0 right before the break.
The second half had an action-packed start with two goals in the first two minutes of play. The Cougars struck first in the 47th minute, after a corner kick was headered in by junior Ren Matsushita to cut the deficit to two. The Yellow Jackets then stormed back just one minute and ten seconds later with a beautifully orchestrated double-pass goal to regain a three-goal lead and go up 4-1. The play was finished off by sophomore midfielder Dylan Keeling (Rocky River) in the 48th minute, and was assisted by senior forward Joey Geither (Parma/Normandy) and freshman forward Jared Webb (Southfield, Mich./Brother Rice). Ruple completed the hat-trick in the 63rd minute after a well-placed through-ball by Geither found him rushing between two defenders, then buried it past the keeper. BW managed to score once more as Keeling tallied his second goal of the half in the 67th minute. A cross from the right wing by junior forward Michael Colabianchi (North Royalton) ricocheted off a defender in front of the crease and found a lurking Keeling nearby for the easy tap-in goal.
Senior goalkeeper Patrick Mehal (Richfield/Revere) recorded his first win of the season, allowing one goal on one shot faced. Freshman goalkeeper Nolan Kellogg (Strongsville) also got his first glimpse of college action this afternoon, as he logged nearly 17 shotless minutes to end the game.
