Hysteria at DeHaven | Oilers Knock Off No. 6 Ohio Valley
Findlay, OH – The University of Findlay men's soccer team took on the reigning Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) champion, top team in the Midwest region, and no. 6 team in the nation on Thursday, Oct. 18 at DeHaven Field and used a pair of goals in the final ten minutes to earn a 2-0 victory. With the win the Oilers improve to to 5-10 overall and 5-7 in conference play. The Fighting Scots move to 13-3 on the season and 9-3 in the league.
The last time the Oilers beat a nationally ranked team was Sept. 6 2015, a 2-0 win over no. 23 Drury, and their last win over a top 10 team was on Sept. 24, 2013, a 2-1 win over no. 4 Norte Dame (OH).
The first half was slow with action on the Oilers attacking end, with no shots on goal. The Fighting Scots seemed to have the upper hand in the first half with seven shots and four corner kicks. The half ended scoreless.
The second half was aggressive as each team was eager to score the first goal of the game. It wasn't until the 79th minute that senior Josh Burton crossed the ball to freshman Gilberto Quintero who had the goalie beat and put the ball in the back of the net to give the Oilers the lead late in the contest.
Findlay put the nail in the coffin just two minutes later when junior Josh Dickinson knocked down a loose ball in traffic and fired a shot to the bottom-left corner of the net, past the diving OVU goalkeeper. The goal sent the DeHaven Field crowd into a frenzy and gave the Oilers a 2-0 lead with just eight minutes to play, one they would not relinquish.
Dickinson and Quintero scored the goals for Findlay while Josh Burton had the lone assist.
Goalie Nathan Sier, the reigning G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week, picked up the win in the net, playing brilliantly to the tune of a 90-minute shutout that included four saves.
On the outside of the playoff chase looking in, the Oilers remain alive for a postseason berth. Findlay will play Lake Erie this Saturday, Oct. 20 at DeHaven Field at 1:00 pm and will celebrate their five seniors prior to the start of the game. The regular season then wraps up on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at Tiffin.