Franciscan 2, Marietta 1

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

Marietta Starters
Crossey, Roberto, Kennedy, Ferguson, Long, Fournier, Auddino, Chappel, Holthaus, Teasdale & Goalkeeper - Price

How It Happened 
    The Barons faced the powerhouse Marietta Men's Soccer program last night at Trinity Health System Field. The Pioneers came into tonight's game undefeated just like the Barons. They were picked in the top half of the OAC, so expectations of this team were high. Franciscan Men's Soccer has never beaten Marietta. With both teams having such high expectations, the excitement for the game continued to build as kickoff got closer. Franciscan fans turned out in droves filling the bleachers and large groups of students standing against the fence and on top of the hill. In an interview leading up to the game forward Mikey Irvin stressed the importance of defense. Thanks to a 13 save effort from Jax Mautone, the defense held. Mautone faced 13 shots in the first half. The Barons only managed 4, but made them count. In the 29th minute Nick Miller took a corner kick and crossed the ball to the far side of the goal. Defensemen Liam Nagle rose above the crowd and headed the ball past the goalkeeper. The Barons held this lead and went into the half up 1-0.
    The second half was a much stronger performance for the Barons. The ball was controlled more and they limited the number and quality of looks the Pioneers received. In the 51st minute, Liam Nagle controlled the ball just passed midfield and found a lane to send a leading pass to Nick Cross streaking down the left side. Cross put the ball over the goalkeeper into the top right corner of the net. This would be the winning goal that gave the Barons their first ever victory over the Pioneers.

Inside the Numbers  
-Liam Nagle recorded a goal and an assist
-Jax Mautone saw a season high 21 shots faced and career high 13 saves
-Nick Cross scored his 2nd goal of the year
-The Barons now lead the PAC in Points, Goals, Assists, and Goals Allowed

Who's Next? 
Franciscan will continue their busy week, as they head to Mount Union on Friday for a 5:00 p.m. matchup. This will be the Barons first ever matchup in men's soccer against the Purple Raiders. Mount Union is undefeated at home with wins over Washington & Jefferson and Defiance. Just like the Barons, they as well tied Penn State Behrend by a score of 0-0. 

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