Franciscan 2, Chatham 0

Franciscan Starters 
Chris St. George, Joseph St. George, Nick Cross, Mikey Irvin, Joshua Atkinson, Augustine Rubino, Jonathan Schriner, Ryan Miller, Nick Miller, Liam Nagle & Goalkeeper - Jax Mautone  

Chatham Starters
Lopez, Taub, Bialowas, Nasso, Ibanez, Coombes, Comeaux, Graham, Gitman, Quidachay, & Goalkeeper - Rose

How It Happened 
    With lightning looming and rain waxing and waning from a light drizzle to strong gusts of downpour the Barons abbreviated their warmups and rushed to take the field. The first half was close in shots taken from either team, but more lopsided when watching control of the game. The ball stayed mostly in the midfield, but on the Barons attacking end. Coach Ridenour moved Nick Miller back up from the defensive position he had last game to his normal spot in midfield. Nick, his brother Ryan, and Chris St. George controlled the game and kept the Barons shifted on the attacking end of the field. This pressure lead to 7 corner kicks in the first half, but the Barons weren't able to get many clean shots on goal. Chatham had an early attempt to take the lead and pull off an upset. A tick y-tack call inside the box gave the Cougars a PK. No worries from Franciscan's bench they have Jax Mautone. Jax read the kick correctly and made a diving save. The shot rebounded off his hands toward another Cougar forward, but he recollected himself popped up and scooped a crossing pass off the ground. His efforts kept the game tied going into halftime.
    The second half is when the fundamental defense and consistent pressure opened the flood gates. The Barons launched 16 shots toward the net in the second half compared to Chatham's 8. The Cougars legs became weary which leads to poor position, more handsy physical play, and three yellow cards. One card off a reckless foul from behind inside the box gave Franciscan a Penalty Kick. Nick Miller took the PK and faked the goalkeeper out. Nick went one way and the goalkeeper guessed the other way. This put the Barons up 1-0 and in the driver's seat. The Cougars picked up their pace as the clock slowly winded down. Deep in the defensive end Nick Miller intercepted a pass, took the touch, and sent a long ball downfield for Jonathan Schriner to pick up. The Cougars got to the ball first, but the ball bounced out-of-bounds on the goal line and Franciscan had another corner kick. Nick Miller took the corner and placed the ball mid to short side net. Liam Nagle elevated with a defender trying to get a head on the ball. The defender got contact first and hit the ball into Nagle's chest. Nagle turned to direct the ball toward center net. His deflection bounced off a Cougar defender right to Jonathan Schriner's foot. Schriner wouldn't be denied a second time and put the nail in the coffin. His goal gave a two goal lead and little time remaining for the Cougars to score against the stringent Baron defense.
    The win vs Chatham puts Franciscan firmly in 2nd place in the PAC and only 3 points (1 win) behind Grove City. 

Inside the Numbers  
-Jax Mautone has 5 shutouts on the season placing him 2nd in the conference
-Nick Miller's 3 point night brings his season total to 15
-Jonathan Schriner's goal is his 5th on the season
-The Barons out shot their opponents 25(11)-14(7)

Who's Next? 
Franciscan will remain at home to take on Saint Vincent on Saturday at Trinity Health System Field. It will be senior day for the Barons, as we look to defeat the Bearcats in our final home regular season contest. The Bearcats hold a 5-2 edge in the all-time series history, but the Barons won in a big way last season. Jonathan Schriner scored a goal in the opening minutes, and Nick Miller scored a pair in last season's 4-1 victory in Steubenville. 

Men's Soccer ID Camp
Franciscan Men's Soccer is excited to offer an ID Camp for aspiring college athletes on Sunday, November 20th, 2022. Participants will have the opportunity to receive training from the men's soccer coaching staff, as well as interact with current players. Players will participate in a typical Franciscan training session and gain an understanding of the competitive and challenging environment of collegiate athletics. For more information click here

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