After a disastrous start to the 2023-24 campaign, the AU men’s soccer team is looking to finish the season strong on a high note with just two games remaining in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) regular season.
On Wednesday, Oct. 25, the Eagles took on the Cedarville Yellow Jackets at Ferguson Field. The Yellow Jackets were tied with the Eagles for 4th place in the conference standings heading into the outing, with the winning team taking a step up the ladder as the season draws to a close. Fortunately for the Eagles, they would come away with a 3-1 win in dominating fashion.
“We need to prepare for games, take each game one at a time, play well, be organized and love to play and win,” said Head Coach Nick Roberts earlier in the season. “We need to have the mentality to place one foot in front of the other. The conference is very strong, and we need to understand that part, it will be very hard to repeat.”
In the first half of play, the Eagles looked to be flowing with energy and poise. The offense was sprinting up and down the field, putting pressure on the Yellow Jackets’ defense, while the Eagles’ defense stood strong.
The two sides of the ball playing well left for comfort in the midfield, as they relied heavily on opportunities to catch the opposition slipping.
Early in the outing, the two sides would exchange small blows, with little coming from them.
The Yellow Jackets settled for a variety of shots outside of the box, putting little pressure on Eagle goalkeeper Ty Bowden who would finish the first half with two saves.
However, the first half would not come to close without a statement coming from the home team. In the 40th minute, just five minutes before halftime hit, the Eagles would find the team’s lucky break.
The Eagles were set with a corner kick, and after the ball spit itself out of the box, midfielder Matthew Roberts was just outside in the perfect spot for a shot. He would boot the ball off the volley, with the ball barreling into the bottom right corner of the goal as Yellow Jacket keeper Jabari Gray had no chance of getting to the ball.
Roberts’ goal would give the Eagles a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
Heading into the second half, the Eagles knew they needed to gain some comfort by finding at least one more goal to cushion the team’s lead. For the Yellow Jackets, they wanted to protect the No. 3 spot in the conference standings, and pull off a win on the road.
To begin the second half, the storyline would remain similar to the first half with both teams looking for a goal. Back and forth both teams went with chances being put on goal, with neither team able to get the separating opportunity.
However, out of practically nowhere, the Eagles would formulate an attack behind substitutions Sam Jordan and Sergio Ruiz who would collaborate on the team’s second goal of the outing.
Ruiz led an attack for the Eagles down the left sideline, before sending a line-drive cross in front of the goal. The ball would make its way past four Yellow Jacket defenders before finding the head of Jordan, with the ball sailing into the back netting.
With a comfortable two goal lead, the Eagles continued to push the pace of play in hopes of finding three points with the win.
While they tailed, the Yellow Jackets looked uncomfortable with the ball as they scrambled to find any beacon of hope.
In the 70th minute, just five minutes after the previous goal was scored, they would get the break they were looking for. Yellow Jacket midfielder Caleb Knight would be tasked with taking a free kick just outside of the box and he would send the ball into the bottom left corner, just past the extended arm of Bowden.
His goal would bring the contest within one, leaving a sliver of hope alive for the Yellow Jackets.
They would continue to showcase offensive aggression as they looked for the tying score, but the Eagles would remain with control, backed by the team’s home crowd.
Eagle forward Vander Rocha would rally behind the Eagle faithful, weaving his way past opposing defenders before finding a wide open shot infront of the goal. He would smash the ball from the six-yard-line, with the ball being slotted into the top left corner of the goal.
The team would finish the game off strong with a 3-1 scoreline, as they were led by goals from Rocha, Jordan and Roberts. Defensively, Bowden recorded a phenomenal eight saves in the win.
With the win, the team moves to third place in the conference standings with 21 points.
The Eagles next look to take on the Findlay Oilers on Saturday, Oct. 28, with kickoff scheduled for 4:00 P.M. at Ferguson Field. Saturday’s game will be the team’s last home game before the regular season comes to a close.
