Franciscan 2, Capital 3

Starting XI
Benjamin James, Kolbe Rice, Joseph St. George, Augustine Rubino, Jonathan Schriner, Joshua Atkinson, Lucas Cross, Ryan Miller, Aidan Henninger, Emanuele Ghinelli, & Goalkeeper Jax Mautone 

How It Happened 
    The Barons took on the Capital University Comets last night in their 3rd game of the OAC non-conference gauntlet they scheduled. There was early scoring, three lead changes, PK's, cards, air horns in the crowd, and anything else that you think might add tension and excitement to a game was present. A quick and long run on a counter attack in the 80th minute was the final lead change that put the Comets up one goal. Ten minutes of prevent kept the Barons from answering and the final score was 2-3.
    The first goal of the game was for the Comets and was the result of an unlucky bounce in disfavor of the Barons. Comet's Harris took the corner which landed in front of the net. Comet forward Hess caught the ball on the bounce and kicked it toward the center of the goal. Mautone anticipated the play and was moving to make the save mid-net. However, a Baron defender moved to block the shot and the ball wrapped around him changing the shot to go left net. Mautone already moving to his left couldn't adjust in time and the Barons went down a goal early. 
    Rubino was a menace in the midfield for the Comets. He consistently won balls and used his speed to get separation from his defenders. Rubino found the back of the net twice in the first half. First, to tie the game off a perfect ball from Kolbe Rice to tie the game at 1-1. Second, off a rebound shot from Ghinelli to give the Barons a 2-1 lead. 
    Early in the second half, the Comets were on a counter and put a shot up a few yards above the box. The shot was blocked and then deflected into the hands of another Baron defender. The official called a handball and the Comets were awarded a PK. Mautone correctly read and reacted to the kick and dove to his left. He got his hands on the ball deflecting it up and out, but the ball clipped the top post and bounced down and in. A second unlucky bounce and break for an otherwise impeccable goaltender performance.
    Capital is currently sitting 3rd in the OAC. The Barons have now played two of the top three teams in the OAC with last night's game being a nail-biter. The fourth and final OAC opponent is coming up and will be another great test to see how this talented team lines up around top-ranked teams.

Inside the Numbers  
-Augustine Rubino had a game-high and career-high 2 goals
-Emanuele Ghinelli had a game-high 3 SOG
-Mautone recorded 9 saves

Who's Next? 
Franciscan will conclude non-conference play on Wednesday at Marietta. The Barons are 1-3 all-time against the Pioneers, including a 2-1 win at home last season. In that win, Liam Nagle scored the lone first half goal with Nick Cross scoring the game-winner in the second half. Jax Mautone played excellent while saving 13 shots on the night.

Men's Soccer ID Camp
Franciscan Men's Soccer is excited to offer an ID Camp for aspiring college athletes on Sunday, November 19th, 2023. 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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