Two goals from sophmore striker Joey Merlo helped the Mount Union Men’s Soccer team deliver a 3-0 win over Marietta.
Mount dominated the game with quick offensive strikes and solid defensive play. The first goal of the match came in the 20th minute as Kevin Cindric set up Merlo with a pass in the box. Marietta keeper Chris Stollar couldn’t keep this one out despite ending the game with a respectable five saves. Seven minutes later junior midfielder Kevin Kowalewski would get one of his own, beating Stollar off a rebound for the 2-0 lead. Merlo would convert a PK moments later in the 28th, creating a 3-0 lead for the home team going into halftime.
Marietta’s defense seemed to settle down a bit in the second half. The Purple Raiders were kept off the scoresheet as scoring opportunties seemed to dry up suddenly. Mount would have 13 shots in the first half, but were limited to just five more in the second. The visitors held the home team to 60+ minutes of scoreless play, but couldn’t deal with a 3-0 deficit that would last until the final whistle.
Marietta would finish the game with an advantage in saves (5) and corner kicks (5), but that didn’t translate into a clean sheet or goals. They struggled to deal with the tactics and talent from John Wikowski’s squad.
Marietta remains winless with a 0-10-3 record including a 0-3-0 start in OAC play, while Mount Union improves to 7-4-1 and a 2-1-0 record against OAC opponents. Mount will look to build off of this success Wednesday as they welcome OAC foe John Carroll to town with a 7 pm kickoff.
Over 90 match photos can be found on our Facebook page.
