By Evan Weber
Sports Editor
The Franciscan University men’s soccer team became PAC champions in a 2-1 victory against the Grove City Wolverines Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. While the match was a grueling physical battle, the Barons were ultimately triumphant and celebrated this incredible victory in front of the home crowd at Trinity field.
Franciscan soccer has a record of excellence in recent years, winning the PAC championship in 2021 and reaching the finals in 2022. Unfortunately, the Barons were unable to repeat this success in 2023, falling in the semifinals to a familiar opponent: Grove City.
But Franciscan came into the 2024 season with a vengeance. They stormed through the PAC and finished with an undefeated conference record and a 13-1-5 record overall. The Barons were poised to complete an all-time great season, but the championship was the final piece.
Kickoff sounded on the chilly field and Grove City immediately put their foot on the gas. The Wolverines maintained ball possession and used multiple corner kicks to attempt a barrage of shots. Sophomore goalkeeper Aiden Miller saved the ball again and again, helping the Baron defense keep the score at zero.
Franciscan and Grove City continued to fight in a highly physical battle. Forty minutes into the game, the Barons finally broke through and junior forward Julien Freeman sank the ball in the back of the net. The Barons ended the first half with a strong 1-0 lead.
The Wolverines were exhausted from the first half and decided to start the second half with a bench unit to rest their starters. This proved to be their downfall. The Barons immediately took advantage and engaged all their offense.
After a scramble from a corner kick, senior defender Joshua Atkinson shot a long pass to center field and junior defender Aiden Henninger soared over the top for an incredible header.
With a commanding 2-0 lead, the Barons completely locked down on defense, doing whatever it took to prevent Grove City from scoring any goals. The Wolverines managed to score one goal off of a suspicious call, but they were unable to get close after that.
As the whistle sounded and time ran out, the Barons came away victorious, capping off an all-time great season and cementing themselves in Franciscan history.
Due to winning the PAC, the Barons have earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. They will compete against Ohio Northern University Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3:30 p.m. Once again, congratulations to our Barons for being PAC champions!