Yellow Jackets Overcome No. 6 OVU in Homecoming Thriller

by Tim Smith

The Cedarville men’s soccer team upset No. 6-ranked Ohio Valley Scots 1-0 on Saturday evening. The match was a big win for the team, as Ohio Valley sports a talented squad. However, their talent was not enough to out the Jackets.

The game started with strong play, as both defenses stood tall and forced a 0-0 score into halftime. Possession appeared to be spread evenly, with both squads earning scoring opportunities and defensive wins.

Coming out of halftime, the intensity only increased as both teams fought hard to be the first to score. That honor, though, would be awarded to Cedarville in the 86th minute.

After an Ohio Valley foul, Conner Hughes lined up to attempt a free-kick. Launching a beautiful volley into the center of the box, Hughes allowed freshman Sammy Kilimann to slam a header into the goal, just out of reach for the defending goalie.

“They left me open in the middle,” Killman said. “I’m small so I’m easy to lose. I think it might have been going in, but I put a touch on it to make sure the goalie couldn’t save it.”

Kilimann’s goal would be the lone score of the match and guide the Yellow Jackets to victory. But head coach Brett Faro commented that one factor of his team stood out among the rest: Discipline.

“We talk about trust, support and accountability and I thought we saw all of that today,” Faro said. “We trusted in the system that we wanted to do, we held each other accountable to what we asked of offensively and defensively, and you could see on the bench and field that guys supported each other. When we stay disciplined, the talent is there.”

The men from Cedarville (7-4-2) will look to carry this momentum into next week, when the Yellow Jackets take on Davis & Elkins on Oct. 11.  The game will be played at the Yellow Jacket Soccer Complex with a kick-off time of 3:00 p.m.