Box Score Defiance, Ohio – The Transylvania men's soccer team endured a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to the Defiance College Yellow Jackets on Saturday afternoon at Winsper Knobel Field.
Transylvania dropped to 2-4-2 overall on the season and 0-1-1 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play while Defiance improved to 7-6 overall and 2-0 on the HCAC table.
In their first road match of the conference season, the Pioneers held a 2-1 lead heading into the final 20 minutes of play, but Defiance was able to break through and level the match with 17 minutes remaining in regulation, and surged ahead with less than 10 minutes to go in the second half, sending the Pioneers home with a sour result.
Henry Roetker and Jak Birdsong each tallied goals on Saturday in defeat for Transylvania, which had to play a man down for the final 65 minutes of regulation.
The Pioneers were the first to strike on Saturday, doing so in thunderous fashion. After a long cross was played in from the right side by Transylvania, a Yellow jacket defender headed away the threat. The deflected ball flew out to Roetker, who was alone nearly 25 yards out from the right side. Defiance was slow to converge on Roetker and the freshman wound up a hard shot with his left boot that flew past the goalkeeper to the top left side of the box for a sizzling 1-0 Pioneer lead.
Defiance returned the favor in the 35th minute when the Jackets scored on a cross to the left side and the unmarked Joshua Maurer slotted in the equalizer.
The Pioneers continued to aggressively pursue opportunities, and their aggression was rewarded in the 61st minute when the streaking Alec Coomes handled the ball and was fouled hard in the box, earning a penalty kick for Transylvania. Birdsong adeptly slotted the penalty kick in goal to put the Pioneers back on top at 2-1 with under a half hour to go.
The Yellow Jackets refused to back down, and used a set piece leading to a header that glanced past Arena's grasp in the 73rd minute as the game was equalized yet again.
Defiance had the final answer on Saturday, moving the attack upfield and playing a through ball to Maurer who beat the heart of the Transylvania defense. Arena dove in near the top of the arriving pass at the edge of the 18 to try and stop Maurer's attempt, but the Yellow Jacket was able to deliver the winning kick just before his arrival with seven minutes to go in the match.
Transylvania returns to the pitch on Wednesday, October 6 at on the road against the Hanover College Panthers. The opening kick is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the Hanover Sports Complex.
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