UPLAND, Indiana – The Marian College men’s soccer team opened the 2007 Mid-Central College Conference Tournament on Saturday afternoon. The Knights are seeded seventh in the eight-team tournament and knocked off the second-seeded Taylor University Trojans, 4-1, on the road exacting some revenge for a 4-2 drubbing at the hands of the Trojans during the regular season. The Knights improve to 9-6-3 on the season with the victory.
Sophomore Gabriel Peters (Marion, Indiana/Marion) got the Knights started at the 20:02 mark. Senior Zach Berline (Pendleton, Indiana/Berry (Ga.)) served a cross off a set piece into the box. Peters, marked by a defender, wrapped his leg around the defender and caught the ball on the volley. The shot rocketed inside the post to give Marian a 1-0 lead. The marker was Peters’ seventh of the campaign while the assist was Berline’s third. The lead, however, was short-lived as Taylor answered at the 38:16 mark to knot the score, 1-1.
Just four minutes later, the helper turned into the goalscorer. Senior Drew Dallas (Greenwood, Indiana/Center Grove) hammered a shot off the post and caught his own rebound only to see goalkeeper Benj Petroelje save his second chance. However, the third opportunity, after a touch pass from junior Benton Schafer (Plainfield, Indiana/Plainfield), was hammered home by Berline for the 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
The Knights came out looking for more after halftime. Freshman Troy Lock (Madison, Indiana/Madison) broke loose in the box and fired a shot at Petrolje, who made the save, but spilled a rebound. Lock followed his shot and hammered it home for the 3-1 lead. One more would make the Knights much more comfortable, and they got just that at the 82:45 mark.
Dallas gathered a deflection off a saved shot from sophomore Mark Manning (Marion, Indiana/Lakeview Christian) and slotted it into the net for the 4-1 win. The goal was Dallas’ seventh of the season and 27th of his career.
The Knights will head into the semifinals of the 2007 MCC Tournament on Monday when they battle the winner of Goshen and St. Francis. The match time is still to be determined.