DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's soccer team downed rival Defiance Wednesday afternoon when senior Dalton Taynor (Troy/Miami East) delivered the only goal of the match with 4:51 to play! Bluffton improved to 6-6-3 overall and more importantly, 4-3 in the Heartland Conference. Defiance fell to 1-11-5 and 0-6-1 in the HCAC. It also snapped an 11-match losing skid at the hands of the Yellow Jackets!

The first half saw Bluffton outshoot Defiance 7-3, but the Beavers were unable to capitalize as the match was scoreless through the first 45 minutes. It looked like the long-time rivals were headed for a 0-0 tie until the third-leading goal scorer in Bluffton history did what he has done 44 times and that is deposit the ball into the back of the net!

His goal with less than five minutes to play allowed Bluffton to exhale as the Beavers moved to 4-3 in the conference with just two matches to play. The visitors finished with a 14-4 edge in shots, including 9-0 on frame. Defiance was whistled for 11 fouls, compared to just seven for the good guys. Bluffton forced six of the eight corner kicks on Wednesday from Winsper Knobel Field.

Taynor ripped six shots at the Jackets with four on target. Sophomore Angel Velasco-Urbina (Louisville, Ky./Henry Clay) was light on the action in picking up his fourth shutout of the season.

Bluffton will load up the bus again on Saturday, Oct. 22, when the Beavers travel to Hanover College in southern Indiana for a heavyweight battle with the Panthers. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. following the women's tussle with Hanover.

-BEAVERS-