Mason Sills 10/05/24
2
University of Northwestern Ohio UNOH (5-5-2, 3-2-1)
3
Winner Aquinas (MI) AQUINAS (8-3-0, 4-2-0)
University of Northwestern Ohio UNOH
(5-5-2, 3-2-1)
2
Final
3
Aquinas (MI) AQUINAS
(8-3-0, 4-2-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
University of Northwestern Ohio UNOH 1 1 2
Aquinas (MI) AQUINAS 1 2 3

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Cam Harper, Director of Athletic Communications

AQ Extends Win Streak to Four With Crucial Win Over (RV) UNOH

The men's soccer team completed the sweep over UNOH after the women's soccer won the first game of the double header.

Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Aquinas men's soccer team took on (RV) University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) in an important conference matchup Saturday afternoon (Oct. 5). Aquinas entered the fixture on a three-game winning streak and were looking to carry that momentum into this match against a receiving-votes team. UNOH started the game with an early goal, but AQ roared back with three unanswered goals to take control of the game. The Racers found one more goal, but AQ held on for the 3-2 victory.

The win improves Aquinas to an 8-3 record that features a 4-2 record in conference play. Aquinas getting the best of UNOH also moves the Saints up to third in the WHAC standings.

Aquinas 3, (RV) UNOH 2

The game started fast with Aquinas earning the first corner and Fikret Hasovic nearly finding Ricardo Rittersberger on the end of the corner for a quick goal. The two teams traded several more opportunities until UNOH found the first goal of the contest in the 13th minute of the game. That goal did not slow down the pace as both teams continued to fly up and down the pitch.

As the first-half clock was winding down, the Saints finally broke through for their first goal of the game. Mason Sills scored his fourth goal of the season off of a nice pass from Yussef Hakmaoui to level the score right before halftime.

The fast-paced contest resumed and picked up right where it left off in the first half. UNOH earned a corner in the 51st minute and a header on target forced Peyton Huffman to make a save to keep the game level. AQ managed to spark a counterattack off of Huffman's save. That counterattack resulted in a yellow card for UNOH after a foul in the box, which also gave Aquinas a penalty kick. AQ's All-American striker, Ricardo Rittersberger, took the penalty kick. However, for the first time this season, Rittersberger's penalty was saved. That save ultimately did not matter though, as Rittersberger tapped the ball into the net after the save to give the Saints the lead.

Just 37 seconds later, Rittersberger found himself in front of the net again and extended the AQ lead after passes from Tevan Jones and Sills. Those two goals sparked a series of shots from UNOH which eventually led to a Racer goal in the 61st minute. The two teams combined for three goals in just a 10-minute window.

The game began to get a bit heated following the UNOH goal with fouls being regularly issued to both teams. AQ then survived an onslaught of shots in the 80th minute to hold onto the one-goal lead.

The Racers continued to pour it on over the last 10 minutes with Aquinas looking to hold on. AQ blocked several shots and Huffman made one last save with just seconds left on the clock to make the 3-2 result official.

By the Numbers
  • Rittersberger's brace now gives him double-digit goals this season with 10. It is also his fourth game this year with multiple goals.
  • With the 3-2 victory, Aquinas has now won its last three games against the Racers.
  • The two sides combined for 39 shots this game with AQ holding a slim advantage with one more shot on target (9-8).
  • Huffman's six saves were a career-high for the sophomore from Grand Rapids.

Up Next

The Saints are back on the AQ Athletic Field on Wednesday (Oct. 9) to take on Lawrence Tech. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
 
Print Friendly Version