COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Dominican Panthers men's soccer team closed out their 2024 season with a 2-3 loss to the Lake Erie Storm at Panther Stadium, despite a valiant effort and strong offensive showing in their final game. The match was also a senior night celebration, where the team honored their five seniors: Josh Moneme, Amadou Sy, Mohamed Sheik, Emmanual Frimpong, and Mubelele Mhango.

The game began with a fast-paced start from the Storm, as they grabbed an early 3-0 lead within the first 16 minutes. Luke Peperak opened the scoring in the 9th minute, assisted by Aaron Garrote, before Peperak again provided an assist on a second goal by Linus Oestlund just three minutes later. Nicolas Vagujhelyi then made it 3-0 with a header in the 16th minute, assisted once again by Garrote.

Despite the early deficit, the Panthers responded late in the first half. Sophomore Aiden Crowley put Ohio Dominican on the board in the 35th minute, scoring his second goal of the season off a right-footed strike, assisted by Evan French. The Panthers entered halftime trailing 3-1, with both teams registering six shots in the opening 45 minutes.

The second half saw Ohio Dominican push back, and in the 57th minute, freshman forward Mamadou Sow converted a penalty kick to bring the Panthers within one. Sow's goal marked his 10th of the season, making him tie the program's all-time leader in goals in the Division II era and the top scorer in the G-MAC conference.

Despite the offensive pressure, Ohio Dominican couldn't find the equalizer, and Lake Erie held on for the 3-2 win. The Panthers out-shot the Storm 15-6 overall, with 6 shots on goal compared to Lake Erie's 4, but were unable to convert enough chances to extend the game.

With the loss, Ohio Dominican wrapped up their season with a 3-12-2 record, which included a notable upset win earlier in the year over the undefeated G-MAC team, Tiffin. While the season ended on a tough note, the Panthers showed resilience, and their underclassmen, particularly Sow, will be key players to watch moving forward into the next season.