BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's soccer team dropped its first-ever home match under the lights by a 3-2 count on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Bluffton slipped to 2-2-3, while Albion improved to 3-4-1 on the season.
Bluffton jumped out to a 1-0 lead less than five minutes in and led 2-1 midway through the first half, but a quick Albion equalizer along with a bevy of stoppages for Beaver yellow cards saw the score tied up 2-2 at the break. With the home team playing a man down the entire second 45 minutes, a Briton goal in minute 50 proved to be the difference on a cold Thursday night.
Junior Elijah Zimmerman (Archbold) put Bluffton up less than five minutes into the contest before a JJ Meyer (Cincinnati/Oak Hills) tally at the 23:38 mark made it 2-1 in favor of the good guys. However, Albion found the back of the net three minutes later and when Dru Arrasmith (Xenia/Greeneview) was whistled for his second yellow card with 60 minutes to play, the Beavers were forced to play with 10 for the duration of the match.
Albion finished with a 12-5 edge in total shots and the visitors also forced six of the eight corner kicks Thursday evening. Dalton Taynor (Troy/Miami East) played a part in Bluffton scores, while Andrew Ireland (Coshocton/River View) and Maxwell Kennedy (Strongsville) chipped in with an assist apiece.
Angel Velasco-Urbina (Louisville, Ky./Henry Clay) finished with three saves for the Beavers.
Bluffton is back at home on Sunday, Sept. 25, when the men welcome a 7-0-1 Baldwin-Wallace squad to the Sears Complex. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m.
-BEAVERS-
