By Natalie Hanna · Staff Writer
Grove City College men’s soccer team secured a 3-0 win against Thiel last Saturday, leading them to a 6-2-2 overall record and 3-0-1 record against PAC opponents.
Grove City started off strong, scoring all three goals in the first 40 minutes of play, with no response from the Tomcats. Senior midfielder Camden Thomas led the scoring effort with his first goal of the season at 6:06 and was assisted by sophomore forward Evan Yoder.
The lead grew less than three minutes later when sophomore midfielder Luke Ladas scored his fourth goal of the season. Junior forward Ryan Merrick assisted the goal. The scoring was closed out when the final goal was booted in by junior forward Ryan Higgs, assisted by freshman forward Andrew Perry at 39:25, which was also his first goal of the season.
“The team played great defense, and (we) got our first clean sheet of the conference games. We scored early too, which helped us get off to the right start. I think it was a good response to tying Geneva on Wednesday and has the potential to lead to more wins this season as a game we can build off of,” Higgs said.
Higgs tallied three shots on goal for the Wolverines with Camden, Ladas and Merrick each recording one. Freshman goalie Keller Krieger was treated to an uneventful first half, while junior Anthony D’Ippolito preserved the shutout by making two saves in the second.
The Wolverines outshot Thiel 31-3, including a 14-2 lead in shots on goal. Grove City also maintained an edge in corner kicks, tallying 13 to Thiel’s two.
According to Higgs, the team was able to implement skills they worked on in practice in this game, which ultimately created more chances by playing it wide and then crossing it, and that’s how we scored our three goals,” Higgs said.
“We are really looking to score early and keep the pressure on them throughout the (game). I think we can wear (our opponents) down by keeping possession and utilizing our deep roster. And if we don’t let them score, we can’t lose.”
After travelling to Hiram, Ohio to face the Terriers last Wednesday, Grove City will venture to New Wilmington, Pa. to take on the Westminster Titans at 5 p.m. tonight. to watch. Grove City was selected as the PAC preseason favorite for 2025, following back-to-back league titles and nine total championships, which is the most in conference history.
Led by veteran Head Coach Melissa Lamie, now in her 33rd season, the Wolverines earned eight first-place votes and 116 points in the coaches’ poll. Grove City is unbeaten in its last 20 regular-season PAC matches (17-0-3) and looks to extend its dominance after a strong campaign and thrilling 4-3 championship win over Westminster in 2024.
The Wolverines will look to carry this momentum forward as they continue their push for a top position in the PAC standings. The Wolverines faced Hiram on the road Wednesday for a rescheduled match up. They then face off at Westminster today, followed by a home battle at 7 p.m. against Franciscan on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
