COLUMBUS, Ohio - After trailing 1-0 entering halftime, it appeared the No. 24 Ohio Dominican men's soccer team had their work cut out for them, but five second half goals by five different players allowed the guys to breathe easy as they coasted to a 5-2 win against Findlay at Panther Field on Sunday afternoon.

Despite posting a 6-3 advantage on corner kicks and outshooting the Oilers 11-7, the Panthers found themselves down 1-0 at the break thanks to a header by Gary Brown in the 23rd minute off a Nick Pahren pass. Brown's header deflected off the crossbar, but bounced down behind the goal line for the score.

ODU did not have to wait long into the second half to get the tying score as senior AJ Mueller (Dublin, OH) sent a penalty kick to the lower left of the net at the 45:35 mark for his first score of the year.

Just over five minutes later in the 51st minute, Felix Darko (Jr./Reynoldsburg, OH) gave the Panthers the lead as he gathered a Findlay turnover by the backfield and nailed a shot from 10 yards out. Darko leads the squad with seven goals and is tied for third in the GLIAC.

ODU continued to force the issue and in the 60th minute Casey Weddle (So./Cincinnati, OH) posted his first score of the season from just inside the penalty box off a cross from Darko.

The Panthers offense kept rolling and less than three minutes later senior Pat McGrath (Cincinnati, OH) found Sean Lipps (Fr./Gahanna, OH) on a 2-on-1 fast break for the straight-on score from 13 yards deep.

McGrath, not to be left out of the goal-scoring frenzy, provided the highlight score of the afternoon at the 71:26 mark, connecting on a diving header in front of the net off a perfectly laid cross from the right side by Tommy Glenn (So./Pataskala, OH).

The Oilers added a second goal in the 74th minute as Alex Oliver delivered a shot eight yards out off a header pass from Logan Lipinski, but the game was already decided.

The five scores and plus three goal differential are season highs for ODU. Even more important, it allowed head coach Willy Merrick to empty the bench and get guys their first action of the year.

With the win, ODU keeps pace with Ashland at the top of the GLIAC standings, improving to 10-3-1 and 7-1-1 in the conference.  

A road showdown with the No. 17 Eagles (9-3-2; 7-0-2 GLIAC) awaits the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 22.

Contact: Bryan Desch
deschb@ohiodominican.edu