The MU Ancilla Men's Soccer Team opened their season on the road at Bryant and Stratton (Ohio) and came away with a resounding 9-1 win. The Chargers handed Head Coach Kirk Weiss his 1st victory of his coaching career in his first game as a head coach. Abe Rebollo (Freshman - Plymouth, IN) and Santiago Morales (Freshman - Fishers, IN) led the way for the Chargers, each scoring and amazing 4 goals in their 1st career college games.
MU Ancilla controlled the pace of play from the opening whistle led by their impressive back line of defense who turned Bryant and Stratton away each time they tried to create offense. This Chargers turned tough defense into offense time and time again as with crisp passing and solid ball control. The men used their skill and technique in the midfield area as they were able to maintain possession and create offensive opportunities for their front line. It was Robello and Morales who reaped the benefits of the strong defense and strong midfield play as they found themselves with the ball and in position to put shots on net. Both players capitalized on their opportunities, combining for 8 goals on the afternoon.
Coach Kirk Weiss was understandably pleased with his guys. "We tested ourselves in the preseason with games against quality NAIA opponents in Goshen College and IU Northwest along with a game against Bethel University's JV team. We wanted to schedule those tough opponents to prepare ourselves for the regular season and I think the results spoke for themselves. We have worked very hard on our midfield possession leading up to this game today and the guys responded by controlling the midfield. They created offensive opportunities which we capitalized on today."
Weiss continued by praising his back line. "Our defense has been our strongest unit so far in preseason camp and in our exhibition matches. I thought those guys did a great job today. Bryant and Stratton was not able to get much going offensively and that is a credit to the defense."
With the win, the Chargers move to 1-0 on the young season and will look to carry some momentum forward into their next contest which will be on Wednesday, September 23rd as MU Ancilla will open their home season with a 4:00 match against Lake Michigan College.
Coach Weiss noted that his young team is growing up quickly and he is looking forward to seeing that continue. "We have a brand new team out on the field this year and I am excited to see how they continue to improve. We have a long ways to go and alot to work on but I like this group. We look forward to a couple days of practice leading up to our home opener on Wednesday."
