ALMA, Mich. – The Defiance College men’s soccer earned their first win of the season Saturday afternoon at Alma College, 4-2. Four different Yellow Jackets scored in the game. Defiance improves to 1-3-0 with the win and Alma falls to 1-1-2.
It was a wild offensive affair in this one as the teams combined for six goals. Jack Stanoikovich assisted Riley Hensley‘s second goal of the season in the 13th minute to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead. Later in the half, Jacob Saxby assisted on Noah Paxton‘s first career goal in the 40th minute to give the Yellow Jackets a 2-0 lead.
It looked like Defiance might run away with this one but Alma stormed back right away and answered. The Fighting Scots answered with two goals in the final two minutes of the first half to tie the game going into halftime. After the first goal, Orry Killam leaped and made an incredible save to preserve the lead momentarily. That save, however, led to a corner kick and Ethan Vollstedt headed one into the back of the net with 14 seconds remaining in the half to tie the game at two.
With all the momentum favoring Alma entering the second half, the Fighting Scots committed a foul inside the box which led to a Defiance penalty kick. Joshua Maurer stepped up and beamed one into the back of the net to give the Yellow Jackets the lead back. Three minutes later, Jack Stanoikovich scored off an assist from Griffin Meyer and that would give the Yellow Jackets their two goal lead back.
The defense and goalkeeper Killam were huge in the second half to keep Alma off the board. Orry Killam saved 11 total shots in the game including seven in the second half.
Alma had the advantage in both total shots (20-14) and corner kicks (6-5). The Yellow Jackets would only record four shots on goal in the game, but they all resulted in goals as Alma goalkeeper Leandro Vargas did not make any saves in the game.
The Yellow Jackets return home Wednesday afternoon for a game against Concordia (MI) at 3:30 p.m.