Box Score STEUBENVILLE, Ohio—A week of practice and defensive adjustments led to a dominant Baron victory over Bethany College 6-0.
The action started late in the first half with junior midfielder Jesse Saltereli's rocket shot off an assist by sophomore forward Joseph Duran for the Baron's first goal of the game. Then, 30 seconds before the half, junior midfielder John Imbimbo drove down the middle, dishing off to Edwin de St. Aubin for another goal to put the Barons up 2-0.
The second half saw four more goals from the Barons, two from freshman forward Leo Herrmann, one from Imbimbo, and a corner kick goal from de St. Aubin.
Meanwhile, the defense, functioning as a solid unit, combined with FUS goalie Edward Huber's 11 saves kept the Bison scoreless.
"It's like all the things we've been working on came together in one day," head coach Ward Rogers said. "Sometimes you have days like that, it's magic, and some days you can't find the goal. This was just one of those magic days."
Perhaps the special touch came from the return of injured junior captain Jace Vansteenburg who played his first minutes of the season at center back, freeing defender Peter Herrmann play his natural position at right back.
Rogers said that without the pressure of playing in the center, Herrmann was able to support the midfield, increasing possession without leaving the defense unguarded.
"You can see what good things happen when you get a right back that can control the play," Rogers said. "Peter is a really accurate passer, so when we find him up the field it's like we have an extra attacker. That relieves pressure on the midfielders, spreads out all the defenders, and gives us more gaps to run into."
With Herrmann aiding the midfield, Vansteenburg stepped up to solidify the defense.
"Jace had a great game at centerback," Rogers said. "It's important to look at how well the back four played. They were just a really coordinated unit."
Rogers said the overall success in the game to the team's week of intensive training between games.
"You see the 12 or 13 that hit the field today, but what you don't see is the other twelve that really push us in practice," Rogers said. "The guys have all been working really hard and it's good to see that what we've been working on we can take to the field in a game."
As the Barons prepare for their next game at Washington and Jefferson on September 24 at 5 pm, Rogers said they will need to maintain their focus.
"Every time you win a game, the next win is twice as hard," Rogers said. "As we start to win games and look forward to conference play, we've got to continue to work harder than we worked the week before."
