Men’s soccer drops match against Oakland
Marshall men’s soccer endured a 3-2 loss Monday night at Hoops Family Field, as two second half goals weren’t enough to top the Oakland Grizzlies. With the loss, Marshall moved to a win-loss record of 1-1-0 while Oakland improved to 1-0-1.
“I think we just didn’t keep our cool,” Marshall head coach Chris Grassie said. “We knew exactly what they were going to come out and do, they did it. We did it until we scored and then we had a mental let down.”
After a scoreless first half, both teams combined for five goals in the second. The scoring commenced in the 53rd minute as Marshall sophomore forward JP Rylah deflected a touch pass from the 6-yard box into the back of the net. Sophomore forward Jamil Roberts and junior midfielder Jonas Westmeyer were each credited with an assist.
Within seconds of Rylah’s goal, though, Oakland equalized the match with a goal by freshman forward Dawsun Schrum, who scored off of a cross into the box. Oakland subsequently took a 2-1 lead in the 69th minute after a goal from redshirt freshman defender Napoleon Outlaw III, who came on as a substitute in the 56th minute.
“We got caught up in the calls too much and we got unorganized,” Grassie said. “They caught us on the counter-attack, which is exactly what we talked about them doing.”
In the 79th minute, Marshall freshman forward Gianni Bouzoukis scored his first goal of the season to tie the game 2-2. Bouzoukis’ goal was a rebounded volley from outside the18-yard box. The tie was short-lived, though, as the Grizzlies took a 3-2 lead with a goal from senior midfielder Jacob Moore.
Marshall took 12 total shots (nine on goal), while Oakland took 10 shots (seven on goal). Despite out-shooting the Grizzlies, the Herd was flagged for six offsides calls compared to one call against Oakland. Additionally, Marshall committed15 fouls, as opposed to Oakland’s six, and six Herd players were shown a yellow card. Grassie said heat and exhaustion may have contributed to the lack of focus.
“It was very hot and humid,” Grassie said. “I think the guys were exhausted from preseason and then you’re kicking off and it’s 100 degrees. It can be draining and that’s when you’ve got to be sharp.”
The Herd was not able to equalize in the final eight minutes, as Oakland pulled out the 3-2 victory. Oakland redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Sullivan Lauderdale had seven saves, which aided Oakland’s winning effort. Grassie is focusing on what’s next for the Herd.
“There is a game around the corner so we can forget this,” Grassie said. “We can put this behind us. We can watch the video, we can analyze what went wrong, we can correct it and acknowledge it and move on.”
The Herd’s next match will be Friday at 5 p.m. against Ohio State at the Dayton Classic in Dayton, Ohio.
Morgan Griffith can be contacted at [email protected].
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